Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii 40

[3DDave]

Another wild fire sweeping through a residential area - it leads me to wonder if exterior sprinkler systems, particularly for roofs, would be sufficient to slow the progress of such fires.

I noted a multi-story apartment or hotel that was generally intact, suffering some interior fire which the sprinkler system may have stopped. The roof was untouched simply from height and the exterior which appeared to be brick - likely the windows or their frames failed in the heat. It was surrounded by ash.

As they are on the ocean the supply of water suitable to the use is well available as long as power for pumps is available. Besides electric pumps, pumps directly driven by diesel and the possibility of adding fire boats pumping water to the system seems worth considering. It's along the ocean so additional salt water should be more acceptable than fire.

 

[TugboatEng]

They released a "validated" list of the missing. That means the people that are not validated to be missing are still missing.

The Hawaiian government has been the poster child of incompetence for decades. One must take anything they produce with a grain of salt.

Their salt is pretty good, however.

 

[spsalso]

A comment by Hawaiian Electric on the possible cause of the fire(s):

https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/hawaiian-electric-provides-update-on-lahaina-fires-response

spsalso

 

[waross]

Disasters and the working poor.
Something that I never see reported in regards to large scale disasters over the years is the effect on the working poor.
The people who are working from payday to payday.
I saw it first hand after Hurricane Mitch hit the small island of Guanaja three times in 3 or 4 days.
I was called in for the rebuild almost as soon as the wind stopped.
While there I talked to a fisherman who had lost his boat, his house and almost everything except the clothes that he and his family were wearing.
The major employers were shut down and the folk who lived from payday to payday had no payday.
The immediate, acute financial hardships affected a large portion of the population.
The power was out in two of the three seafood processing plants.
One plant had a cable run in from a ships generator to try to save the product in cold storage. They were losing ground.
They had recently purchased a standby generator but it had not been set up.
The set was a surplus set.
We started it uoo, but it was unable to maintain a steady speed.
It turned out that the wrong governor was fitted. It had a few other problems as well.
We did get it up and running and got power back on the plant. About 40 people went back to work.
It felt good, but I had no time to think about it.
The other plant had managed to get Caterpilar to deliver them a plant that was actually intended for another customer.
The ship had just arrived with the new Cat gen-set and I moved over and got that one up and running.
About 50 people went back to work.
It felt good.
Many people dream of "Making a Difference".
Not all people ever have the opportunity to actually "make a difference"< however small.
It was a good feeling but not an intense feeling.
The feeling may probably be described by the an anecdote:
"Like wetting your pants in a dark room wearing dark pants.
It gives you a warm feeling, but no-one else notices."
Give a thought to the poor working poor in Lahaina.

--------------------
Ohm's law
Not just a good idea;
It's the LAW!

 

[Brian Malone]

Sorry to say, enginesrus that YouTube video is a waste of time and is just another example of someone trying to monetize tragedy with Youtube clickbait. I hate I helped their effort by viewing the video - based on your recommendation. I will consider that in the future. Those two guys were pondering the 'mysterious' fate of two burned out cars that were exposed to high winds and burning gasoline from their ruptured fuel tanks - all the while encouraging for likes to the channel and 'help' to spread the link to get the 'word out' about the government 'cover up'. I shake my head at the sad situation that social media has created where someone can potentially profit by posting falsehoods and half truths. Absolutely nothing nefarious or abnormal for the glass and aluminum parts to be melted in a gasoline fueled fire. The small grass area could have been set ablaze by wind blown embers or even an opportunistic arsonist who owed loan payments on vehicles they could not afford . . .

 

[LionelHutz]

LOL, it's surprising to me that multiple members would even click on a video link posted by enginesrus.

 

[dik]

There are two reasons for that... You either learn something new or you reinforce something that you knew...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik