Apr 17 Maui Fire Department report on deadly wildfire details how it was no match for unprecedented blazes By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Rebecca Boone, Claudia Lauer, Associated Press When wildfires broke out across the Hawaiian island of Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their fire engines. Continue reading
Mar 07 Biden wins Democratic caucuses in Hawaii, inching closer to nomination By Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press Biden went into the vote with the advantage of incumbency and name recognition. Continue reading
Feb 09 Earthquake hits Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island, no major damage reported By Audrey McAvoy, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the world’s largest active volcano on Friday — Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii — knocking items off shelves in nearby towns but not immediately prompting reports of serious damage. No tsunami was… Continue reading
Dec 27 She died weeks after fleeing the Maui wildfire. Her family fought to have her listed as a victim. By Gene Johnson, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Mark Thiessen, Lindsey Wasson, Associated Press The number of people exposed to natural hazards has increased as climate change has intensified disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. Studies suggest that wildfire disproportionately affects vulnerable people such as those who are older, have a diminished capacity to respond… Continue reading
Nov 30 Watch 3:28 How Hawaii students convinced schools to provide free menstrual products By Kate Nakamura It took many years of effort from students and advocates, but Hawaii is now one of nine states requiring public and charter schools to provide free menstrual products to students. Kate Nakamura from the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs has… Continue watching
Nov 24 Maui residents want independent testing to determine when it’s safe to return to burned town By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press The rubble left behind includes electrical cables, plastic pipes and vehicle tires that emit dangerous dioxins when burned; lead from melted vehicles or old house paint; and arsenic-laden ash from termite-resistant building materials. Continue reading
Nov 17 Watch 8:27 Maui faces water rights questions as island continues wildfire recovery By William Brangham, Maea Lenei Buhre, Sam Lane The deadly wildfires that tore through Maui destroyed thousands of structures and killed 100 people. But as William Brangham reports, they also reignited a long-simmering concern among Native Hawaiians over who controls one of their most precious natural resources, water. Continue watching
Nov 12 A wildfire in Hawaii has burned native rainforest on Oahu, raising ecological concerns By Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press A wildfire burning in a remote Hawaii rainforest is underscoring a new reality for the normally lush island state just a few months after a devastating blaze on a neighboring island leveled an entire town and killed at least 99… Continue reading
Oct 24 West Maui to reopen to tourism on Nov. 1 after fire By Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press The community has had an impassioned debate about when to welcome travelers back to the disaster-stricken region. Some residents drafted a petition opposing the return of tourists, saying the community wasn't ready. Continue reading
Sep 28 WATCH: House committee holds hearing on Maui fires and electrical grids By Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Hawaii’s top public utility officials and the president of Hawaiian Electric testified in the hearing about the role the electrical grid played in last month’s deadly Maui wildfire. Continue reading