‘Recipe for fires’: Invasive plants fueling Maui blazes, experts say

NY Post ^ | 08/14/2023 | Isabel Keane

[ChicagoConservative27]

Invasive highly flammable grasses in Hawaii have been key to fueling the deadliest wildfires in the US in more than 100 years, experts say.

While factors such as extreme weather events from climate change and the state’s local power grid have been blamed for helping to cause the blaze, large plots of land in Hawaii have been overrun by volatile non-native fire-prone grasses that are fueling the deadly flames, according to experts.

Land that was once occupied by irrigated pineapples and sugar cane was taken over by the grass species as those businesses began to decline, according to Elizabeth Pickett, the co-executive director of the Hawaii Wildlife Management Organization.

“The problem is at such a large scale, 26% of our state is now invaded by these grasses,” Pickett told The Associate Press.

[Paul R.]

Oh, geez! I’m imagining drought stricken masses of kudzu in flames in high winds. Yikes!

[blueunicorn6]

I saw a pretty big grass fire put out by having M-88 Armored Recovery Vehicles form a line 90 degrees to the fire and drop their blades and button up and go full speed through the fire and grass while jigging left and right.

They were on hand and manned.

Not much you can do with big fires.