Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and the media pointed the finger at climate change as responsible for the dozens of deaths and tremendous property loss resulting from the Maui wildfires. They’re pointing in the wrong direction.
Dry grasslands, windy conditions and one or more sparks were all it took to put Maui ablaze. As usual with natural disasters, what happened is not really predictable so no one is to blame for the event itself.
But that’s where blamelessness ends and government culpability begins.
The grasslands that the wildfire blew through did not dry overnight. The area where the wildfires occurred has been in moderate to severe drought. Drought conditions are a significant risk factor for out-of-control wildfires.