 What might have caused the fires? Extreme hurricane winds and dry weather certainly helped to fuel the flames. Hurricane Dora swept passed Hawaii on Tuesday and definitely would have fanned the flames further. The island of Maui and other parts of Hawaii are also experiencing extremely dry conditions and drought, which would have contributed. Around 80 per cent of Hawaii is classed as abnormally dry and about 14 per cent of the state is in severe or moderate drought. The cause of the wildfires remains under investigation (Picture: Getty) Wildfires tend to need three elements to break out and spread – biomass such as trees or vegetation as fuel, a spark and then weather like high winds to drive flames. Scientists say 90 percent of Hawaii is getting less rainfall that it got 100 years ago – and it has been particularly dry since 2008. And Maui was already under a red flag alert before the fires started, meaning its warm temperatures, strong winds and low humidity were known to be producing an increased risk of fires. Residents of M){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
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An investigation into what caused the wildfires in Hawaii is still underway as the death toll hits 55 with 1,000 people still missing.
The wildfires that broke out on the island of Maui on Tuesday are being called some of the worst in its history.
As of this morning, 55 people have been confirmed dead in the fires and 1,000 people remain missing.