On August 8th, 2023, wildfires sweep rapidly and mercilessly across the historic town of Lahaina, on the Island of Maui, in Hawai’i, and there are no sirens to be heard.

The fires are believed to have started due to fallen power lines. Allegedly the Hawaiian Electric co. did not shut off the power to these lines, despite many poles having fallen down. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the company, claiming them responsible for at least 99 deaths caused my the fires. The death toll has now risen to 111 people, and is expected to continue to rise as time goes on, with 1,100 to 1,300 people unaccounted for, says CNN. 

The Hawaiian people are disturbed by the lack of action and poor response by the Hawaiian government, and the potentially life-saving emergency sirens were not even turned on, according to CBS. However, amid this criticism, ABC news has said that the sirens were typically only used for tsunami warnings, and it was feared that the sirens would cause citizens to move inland, toward the fires, rather than away from them. Many people agree that new protocols need to be put in place for the future.

 Several efforts have been organized to help with the fires, including but not limited to: Maui Strong, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, and University of Hawai’i Foundation. They are collecting money, supplies, etc. to aid the relief efforts. Donations can be made through any of these organizations to support the cause.