By First post
Hawaii’s deadliest fire in US history was sparked by a dry summer, strong winds and a hurricane passing through. Coral reefs and water supplies are in danger, even though the full impact of the disaster will not be known for some time.
On Sunday, the Hawaii fires claimed 96 lives.
Hawaii’s biggest natural disaster for decades was sparked by a dry summer, and the strong winds of a hurricane passing through.
At least 2,200 residential buildings have suffered damage worth nearly $6 billion.
Experts say that the full impact of environmental damage won’t be seen for some time.
Kimberly Thayer is a Mauna Kahalawai Watershed Partnership program associate. She said, “When you see a fire of this magnitude and all the destruction, it’s painful.”
Jamison Gove is an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration based in Honolulu. In 2015, he published research on the recovery of Hawaii’s coral reefs from the marine heatwave when wildfires hit Hawaii. This study found that land-based pollutants are damaging coral.
According to the governor, burning houses, buildings commercial, vehicles, trucks, or cars would increase runoff because they concentrate synthetic materials.
Gove believes that if all of this material was concentrated in such a small space, it would have even worse consequences if the materials were in the sea. Lahaina is located on the coast, so materials will reach the ocean in a short distance.
Gove says that coral reefs provide protection for the coast, fishing, and cultural practices in Hawaii. The ecosystem would be severely affected if coral reefs were to disappear.
Reefs that are near land burnt were also at risk. However, reefs such as Olowalu Reef near Lahaina – which contains some of Hawaii’s oldest coral structures – were especially at risk.
Ash falling into oceans could also block reefs’ access to sunlight. This would stop photosynthesis.
Jennifer Smith, an expert in corals, called the fire a massive wasteland filled with toxic chemicals.
Smith warns that if it rains, the water could end up in the ocean.
She said, “Think of what people stored in their garages.” All of that has been reduced to ash.
Water Consumption
Purdue University Professor Andrew Whelton claims wildfires are capable of contaminating private wells and municipal water systems.
Whelton stated that a shallow well protected by only a board, or merely containing sand, can be easily contaminated by fire.
Fire can damage distribution systems as well. Fire can also damage distribution systems.
Maui Water officials have warned residents of Lahaina, Kula, and other nearby areas not to consume running water even after it has been boiled.
Thayer, in an interview with The Washington Post warned about soil seed banks damage.
The chances that a seed bank will remain viable in the soil are decreasing with each passing fire.
Elizabeth Pickett, the co-executive Director of Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (a nonprofit organization that helps communities prevent and reduce fires), lamented about changes brought by fire.
Pickett explained that invasive and fire-prone species of grass have infiltrated native forests and can be burned into the trees, replacing them with grass. The soil becomes sloughed off after a fire. This causes massive erosion and can smother coral. It also impacts the fisheries.
Pickett stated that in many cases the only things left when soil is lost are these invasive species. It’s systemic. “Air, water, and land are all affected.”
Paul Steblein is the coordinator of wildland fire sciences for the US Geological Survey. He says that wildfires may become more common if fire-adapted species are returned following a fire.
Steblein explained that climate change causes these invasive grasses, which are easy to burn in dry seasons and grow more quickly during periods of heavy rain, to also increase their growth during periods of high rainfall.
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