"A study of Maui survivors found high amounts of toxic metals in their bodies for as long as 18 months after the fire. Another study found the Eaton Fire’s smoke had lead concentrations up to 250 times higher than normal."
"The deadliest blaze in modern U.S. history began as a grass fire near Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. As flames raged through the drought-stricken landscape, powerful winds began to carry embers into neighborhoods, igniting cars, businesses and homes.
Soon the wildfire became an urban conflagration, fueled not just by natural vegetation but by man-made materials laced with hazardous chemicals: walls covered in lead paint, insulation containing asbestos, copper-coated wiring and furniture made of plastic.
More than 100 people were directly killed in the 2023 Maui blaze, according to a federal after-action report. But research recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is one of two new studies to suggest the full toll of urban fire disasters may be far more complex, due to the pollutants unleashed when communities go up in flames.
The study of 1,400 Maui survivors found that many had high amounts of toxic metals in their urine for as long as 18 months after the fire. Those whose results showed higher volumes of metal were disproportionately likely to struggle on breathing tests, a potential sign of lung problems."
Sarah Kaplan reports for the Washington Post October 15. 2026.
