CNN —The wildfires in Maui spread swiftly and turned deadly, stunning local officials who were quickly overwhelmed.
Fueled by a combination of strong winds and dry conditions – and complicated by the island’s geography – the fires have killed at least 36 people.
Moderate drought covers more than one-third of Maui, with some areas experiencing severe drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
Dried-out land and vegetation can provide fuel for wildfires, which then can swiftly turn deadly if strong winds help fan the flames toward communities.
“These strong winds coupled with low humidity levels are producing dangerous fire weather conditions” through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said.
Persons:
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Organizations:
CNN, Yale School of, University of Hawaii, US Drought Monitor, Fourth, National Weather Service, Clark University in, El Nino, Pacific Fire Exchange, of Forestry, Wildlife
Locations:
Maui, Hawaii, Manoa, Santa Ana, Southern California, Oahu, Clark University in Massachusetts, “, Hurricane, Pacific, ” Hawaii, West Maui