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To understand community impacts and needs after the August 2023 Maui wildfires, we conducted a rapid survey-based field investigation two weeks after the incident. During the fires, municipal water customers were warned not to use their water due to potential drinking water contamination. Household displacement and isolation of some impacted areas limited extensive study participation. Households (14) in the affected areas were visited and surveyed about property characteristics, evacuation, water use, and water quality observations. Publicly available test results from Maui County and the University of Hawai'i were also reviewed. Opportunistically, wildfire impacts to agricultural water systems were documented. Half of the households had property damage, and all lost power and used drinking water before being notified that it was potentially contaminated. Nearly all households expressed confusion about allowable water use activities and health risks. Most households noticed water issues after the evacuation order was lifted, and some acquired and used at-home drinking water test kits. None of these kits could find all previously identified fire-related chemicals. Damage to agricultural water systems was similar to damage seen for residential systems. Recommendations to lessen impacts and expedite community response and recovery from wildfires are provided.
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Lessons Learned: Benzene Distillation Vapor Explosion and Fire
We present here a narrative of an incident that occurred in a chemistry laboratory while purifying benzene using a distillation apparatus. The incident resulted in an injury to a graduate student and a fire that caused approximately $3.5 million in damage including repair/refurbishment costs. Unfortunately, due to the extent of the fire, a direct cause of the incident could not be determined. The lessons learned from this incident that could have potentially prevented the incident altogether, or at least reduced damage, include performing a risk assessment of both the experiment and the situation at the time, maintaining proper housekeeping of the lab, maintaining an updated and accurate chemical inventory, checking in on long duration experiments, always calling for back-up, ensuring the lab and buildings are up to code, wearing proper personal protective equipment, and always calling 911 in an emergency.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2154255
- PAR ID:
- 10506401
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ACS Chemical Health & Safety
- Volume:
- 30
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1871-5532
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 146 to 150
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.3c00033
