The dangers of high winds and dry grassland make for a dangerous wildfire formula, and not just in Hawaii.

By Matt Stieb, New York Intelligencer

The wildfire that has killed at least 55 people in Maui appeared to come out of nowhere. Thanks to high winds exacerbated by a hurricane traveling hundreds of miles south of Hawaii, a fire sparked on dry grasslands moved at tremendous speeds across the island, causing thousands of people to evacuate and some residents of the destroyed town of Lahaina to jump into the harbor for safety. While the blaze is already one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history — with the death toll expected to rise as recovery efforts continue — the conditions for such an event could be common in many areas not normally considered prone to fire. I spoke with Dr. Nick Bond, the state climatologist for Washington, to understand the dangers at hand.