Lessons from the blaze that levelled Lahaina
A deadly wildfire on Maui steals Hawaiians’ homes and history
WHEN KING Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian islands in the early 1800s, he made Lahaina the capital of his new kingdom. The seaside city on western Maui was his crown jewel. Missionaries and whalers flocked to its shores. Kings and queens were buried in the graveyard of Waiola church. Later, it became a tourist destination. Surf shops, bars and museums lined its streets; 13,000 people called Lahaina home. Now an ashen moonscape lies between the mountains and the sea where it once stood.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Paradise lost”
United States August 19th 2023
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- Donald Trump’s racketeering indictment is the most sweeping yet
- Iowa has become a petri-dish of Republican radicalism
- Lessons from the blaze that levelled Lahaina
- The mullet has had a resurgence in right-wing America
- Louis DeJoy’s ambitious plans for America’s postal service
From the August 19th 2023 edition
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