The Lahaina fire devastated Hawaii in 2023 Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP/Alamy
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On 8 August 2023, after days of windy weather, utility poles toppled into the long grass just outside the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. A few minutes later, the first flames flickered around the downed power lines. Within minutes a brush fire erupted.
The fire was declared fully contained by firefighters, but a few hours later it was whipped…
