Wildfires, in Hawaii Maui island, have led to the death of at least 67 people and the destruction of the historic town of Lahaina, reported Reuters.

In a statement, Maui County said, “As firefighting efforts continue, 12 additional fatalities have been confirmed as of 1 PM (2300 GMT) today amid the active Lahaina fire. This brings the death toll to 67 people.”

Meanwhile, Governor Josh Green has said that the numbers are expected to go up, the report added.

US wildfires have doubled in the past two decades

According to a National Geographic report, destructions caused by wildfires have significantly increased across the United States in the past two decades, resulting in an average of 72,400 wildfires clearing an average of 7 million acres of land in the country each year since 2000. The report stated that the numbers have doubled in comparison to the number of acres that were scorched in the 1990s.

Considering the drastic changes, now a staggering 21.8 million Americans are living within 3 miles (5 kilometres) of a large wildfire, with nearly 600,000 of them directly exposed to the fire as their homes are inside the wildfire perimeter, states a research report.

Keeping in view how things have been unfolding and raising environmental concerns in the US, it has now become critical to understand wildfires and the factors causing them.

What are wildfires?

An uncontrolled fire that burns the wildland vegetation, mostly in rural areas, wildfires can burn forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems. It has been taking place for hundreds of millions of years till now. Wildfires can burn in vegetation located both in and above the soil ie., ground fires and surface fires. However, it entirely depends on the weather conditions that determine how much a wildfire grows.

While wildfires hold the potential to cause widespread destruction of vegetation, it is also essential for the continued survival of some plant species and they also help in keeping the ecosystem healthy by killing insects and diseases that harm trees. However, recent climate changes have made some ecosystems more susceptible to flames, especially in the southwest United States. As the warmer temperatures have intensified drought and dried out forests, it has been triggering more wildfires and intense blazes leading to destruction.

Causes of wildfires

There are several factors that contribute to wildfires. While it can start due to a natural occurrence like lightning, human activities also play a major in causing wildfires. From burning debris or yard waste to unattended campfires, engine sparks, dumping cigarette buds, fireworks, and arson, many of these human activities are the leading causes of wildfires.

Apart from that, mother nature is also responsible for some of the wildfires with activities like lightning, volcanic eruption, or dry weather sparking a fire.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)