Maui residents wonder if their burned town can be made safe. The answer? No one knows When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell
When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell.
What chemicals created the burning-trash-barrel scent that has lingered since a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina in August? Should he believe government agencies’ assessment of when the air, land and water will be safe enough for his family to return?
Or will political and economic pressures to rebuild and restore Maui’s robust tourism industry — where visitors normally spend $14 million per day — lead officials to look at any testing results through rose-colored glasses?
