What Sparks US Wildfires: Power Lines, Burning Trash and Lightning
- Once vegetation dries out, it can easily ignite and burn acres
- Maui blaze that tore through Lahaina is under investigation
Destroyed homes and buildings following wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The fast-moving fire that ripped through Maui’s historic town of Lahaina killed more than 90 people, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but power equipment in the area is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Across the nation, wildfires are growing in intensity and frequency as climate change sparks prolonged droughts. The initial cause can vary — a spark from downed electric lines, a lightning strike or a cigarette butt tossed out a car window — but the result is the same: Once vegetation dries out, it can easily ignite.