Deadly fire – and alien grass

Misha Fehlmann sprays water to put out hot spots in Kula, Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2023. A sweeping series of plantation closures in Hawaii allowed highly flammable nonnative grasses to spread on idled lands, providing the fuel for huge blazes. (Go Nakamura/The New York Times)

WHEN Hawaii’s last sugar cane plantation shut down in Maui in 2016, it marked the end of an era when sugar reigned supreme in the archipelago’s economy. But the last harvest at the 14,500ha plantation underscored another pivotal shift: the relentless spread of extremely flammable, non-native grasses on idle lands where cash crops once flourished.

Varieties such as guinea grass, molasses grass and buffel grass – which originated in Africa and were introduced to Hawaii as livestock forage – now occupy nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s landmass.