How 19th-century pineapple plantations turned Maui into a tinderbox

Land privatization and water depletion set the stage for the Lahaina fire 150 years ago. Now, land companies may benefit even moreIn the late 18th century, when the Hawaiian Kingdom became a sovereign state, Lahaina carried such an abundance of water that early explorers reportedly anointed it “Venice of the Pacific”. A glut of natural wetlands nourished breadfruit trees, extensive taro terraces and fishponds that sustained wildlife and generations of Native Hawaiian families.But mor