When I picture Maui, wildfire is not the first thing that comes to mind.
But on August 8, fires swept through parts of the Hawaiian island, devastating the historic town of Lahaina and killing more than 100 people. Homes, businesses, and pieces of Hawaiian history disappeared within hours.
Wildfires are complicated, and climate change cannot be blamed for every individual fire. But the conditions surrounding a fire determine how destructive it can become.
And those conditions are changing.
What Made the Fire So Dangerous
Fire needs something to burn.
Parts of Maui had experienced dry conditions, leaving grasses and vegetation vulnerable. Strong winds then helped flames spread at incredible speed.
Climate change can worsen drought and increase temperatures, drying vegetation and creating conditions that make fires more difficult to control.
That does not mean climate change lit the match. It means the environment in which fires happen is becoming more dangerous.
More Than Lost Buildings
The destruction of Lahaina also shows that climate disasters can erase more than property.
Lahaina was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and remains culturally important to Native Hawaiians. Rebuilding will therefore involve difficult questions about land, tourism, housing, and who gets to return.
A climate disaster does not affect everyone equally. People with money and insurance may be able to rebuild more easily. Others may be permanently displaced from communities their families have lived in for generations.
What Maui Shows Us
It is easy to describe disasters like this as unexpected.
But hotter temperatures, drought, and wildfire risk are not new warnings.
Preparing for climate change means more than responding after something burns. It means investing in emergency systems, managing vegetation, strengthening infrastructure, and understanding which communities are most vulnerable before disaster strikes.
Maui should not simply become another terrible event we remember.
It should change how seriously we prepare for the next one.
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