{"id":2000931,"date":"2023-08-15T05:49:04","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T09:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maui-officials-and-scientists-warn-that-after-the-flames-flicker-out-toxic-particles-will-remain\/"},"modified":"2023-08-15T05:52:38","modified_gmt":"2023-08-15T09:52:38","slug":"maui-officials-and-scientists-warn-that-after-the-flames-flicker-out-toxic-particles-will-remain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maui-officials-and-scientists-warn-that-after-the-flames-flicker-out-toxic-particles-will-remain\/","title":{"rendered":"Maui warns: Toxic particles linger after fires."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaui-officials-and-scientists-warn-that-after-the-flames-flicker-out-toxic-particles-will-remain%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2000931&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Engulfed\u200c in\u2062 Flames: The Devastation of Lahaina<\/h2>\n<p>LAHAINA, Hawaii\u2014When flames swept through western Maui, engulfing the town\u200b of Lahaina, residents witnessed a \u200dhorrifying spectacle. Toxic fumes filled the air as homes, pipes,\u200d and cars combusted, transforming rubber, metal, and plastic into a poisonous, particulate matter-filled smoke.<\/p>\n<p>Retired mailman and Vietnam veteran Thomas Leonard heard a deafening boom as a nearby propane tank exploded, leaving behind a cloud that resembled a colossal mushroom.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Cicchino, a 37-year-old who grew up on Maui, could gauge the \u200cproximity of the flames by the sound of gas \u200dtanks erupting in cars. Seeking refuge \u200bin the ocean across a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maui-officials-and-scientists-warn-that-after-the-flames-flicker-out-toxic-particles-will-remain\/\" title=\"Maui warns: Toxic particles linger after fires.\">knee-high sea wall<\/a>, he experienced excruciating pain in\u200b his rib cage, swollen eyes, and even vomiting as he helped others \u2064to safety.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/thousands-turn-out-at-sunday-church-services-to-mourn-mauis-wildfire-victims-5463087\">Thousands of Hawaiians \u200cGather to \u2064Mourn Maui&#8217;s Wildfire\u200c Victims<\/a> \u200b- 8\/14\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/death-toll-from-maui-fire-could-double-or-even-triple-governor-5464738\">Death Toll from Maui Fire Could\u200c Double or \u2063Even \u200bTriple: Governor<\/a> &#8211; 8\/15\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It\u200d was like a war,&#8221; Mr. Cicchino recalled.<\/p>\n<p>Since the devastation became evident, approximately\u200b 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of West Maui, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. With over \u206290 lives lost, officials\u200b are now mourning the casualties and preparing for a long recovery, particularly in\u200c Lahaina.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from \u200cthe loss of lives, damaged properties, \u2063and a \u2062forever transformed culture, authorities are concerned about \u2063the lingering toxic byproducts of the fire in certain parts of the island.<\/p>\n<p>While some residents have started returning home, they are met with melted cars, flattened homes, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/officials-issue-grave-warning-after-maui-fires-keep-showers-short-and-dont-drink-the-water\/\" title=\"Officials warn: Limit shower time and avoid drinking water after Maui fires.\">burnt elevator shafts rising<\/a> from ashy lots. However, officials are cautioning against premature\u200b returns, \u2063emphasizing the ongoing dangers and the need\u2063 for Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to assess additional hazards.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not safe. It is a hazardous area, and that&#8217;s why experts are here,&#8221; stated Maui County Mayor\u2064 Richard Bissen during a news conference. \u2064&#8221;We&#8217;re not doing anybody any favors by letting\u2062 them back in there quickly, just so they can get sick.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Hawaii&#8217;s state toxicologist, Diana Felton, warned that it could take weeks or even months to\u200b clean\u200d up the \u200bpollutants. Scientists have advised officials like Mr. \u2064Bissen and Ms.\u2064 Felton that fires, even when extinguished, can leave\u2062 lasting \u200dhealth hazards in the\u200b air and drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>These long-term effects could prolong the recovery process, intensify residents&#8217; suffering, \u2063and complicate the revival of the island&#8217;s tourism-driven economy.<\/p>\n<p>Maui water officials have issued \u200bwarnings to Lahaina and Kula residents, advising\u200d against drinking running water due to potential contamination, even after boiling. They also recommend taking short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to minimize exposure to possible\u2064 chemical vapors.<\/p>\n<p>While some have \u200cchosen\u2062 to return, others, like JP Mayoga, have opted to stay\u2062 away. Mr. Mayoga, along with his wife and\u200d two daughters, plans to remain at the hotel where he works north of Lahaina. They fear that the toxic debris covering Lahaina could negatively impact their family members with sensitive health conditions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s \u2064safer than it is at home right now,&#8221; Mr. Mayoga expressed about\u200b the hotel.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike factory\u200b pollution or forest fires, where scientists have a better understanding of the emitted toxins, fires like the one in Maui leave behind a more unpredictable trail of destruction.\u200b As towns like Lahaina burn, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/explosive-blaze-at-big-city-propane-business-turns-tanks-into-missiles-triggering-evacuations\/\" title=\"Propane Business Blaze Triggers Evacuations as Tanks Become Projectiles.\">propane tanks explode<\/a>, and pipes rupture, \u200cthe aftermath poses significant challenges for both the environment and the people\u200c affected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During the wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, toxic fumes filled the air as burning homes, pipes, and cars released poisonous smoke. Thomas Leonard, a retired mailman and Vietnam veteran, witnessed the explosion of a propane tank nearby, adding to the chaos caused by the flames in western Maui.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2000932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2000931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}