The deadly wildfires that ravaged Maui, Hawaii, causing significant destruction and loss of life, resulted from a complex interplay of environmental and human factors.

The fires, which killed over 100 people and forced thousands to evacuate, particularly devastated the historic town of Lahaina.

Here is what we know about how the Maui wildfires started.

What caused the Maui fire?

Several factors contributed to the catastrophic wildfire outbreak.

One significant factor was the prevailing weather conditions at the time.

Much of Hawaii was under a red flag warning for fire risk due to a combination of factors.

Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm located several hundred miles south of the Hawaiian islands, generated dangerous high wind conditions in the region.

These strong winds, dry conditions, and low humidity created "fire weather," where the landscape becomes highly susceptible to wildfires.

Security camera footage from the Maui Bird Conservation Center near Kula captured a flash in the woods, possibly caused by a falling tree hitting a power line during strong winds.

Strong winds downed power lines, further escalating the danger.

The power company's alleged absence of precautionary safety measures was a second factor.

Claims emerged that Hawaiian Electric, the primary power company in the state, did not implement precautionary safety measures recommended in an emergency plan to reduce wildfire risks ahead of the storm.

The company was criticized for not shutting off electricity to areas where strong winds were expected, a measure that could have prevented the ignition of fires from downed power lines.

In response to these allegations, Maui County filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, alleging that their failure to power down equipment during the approaching storm led to the fires.

Finally, there were concerns about activating Hawaii's warning sirens

While Hawaii has a statewide outdoor warning siren system designed to alert residents ahead of natural disasters or emergencies, including wildfires, the sirens were not activated during the Maui wildfires.

Instead, emergency alerts were sent via mobile phones, television, and radio

The decision not to activate the sirens was defended by officials, who expressed concerns that activating them might have caused people to move toward higher ground, potentially putting them in the path of the fires.

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