A dangerous mix of conditions appear to have combined to make the wildfires blazing a path of destruction in Hawaii particularly damaging, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

Experts also say climate change is increasing the likelihood of more extreme weather events like what害羞草研究所檚 playing out on the island of Maui, where dozens of people have been killed and a historic tourist town was devastated.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 leading to these unpredictable or unforeseen combinations that we害羞草研究所檙e seeing right now and that are fueling this extreme fire weather,害羞草研究所� said Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 faculty of forestry. 害羞草研究所淲hat these 害羞草研究所� catastrophic wildfire disasters are revealing is that nowhere is immune to the issue.害羞草研究所�

What害羞草研究所檚 fueling them?

Major differences in air pressure drove unusually strong trade winds that fanned the destructive flames, according to meteorologists.

Trade winds are a normal feature of Hawaii害羞草研究所檚 climate. They害羞草研究所檙e caused when air moves from the high-pressure system pressure north of Hawaii 害羞草研究所� known as the North Pacific High 害羞草研究所� to the area of low pressure at the equator, to the south of the state.

But Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the islands this week, is exacerbating the low-pressure system and increasing the difference in air pressure to create 害羞草研究所渦nusually strong trade winds,害羞草研究所� said Genki Kino, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Honolulu.

Hawaii害羞草研究所檚 state climatologist, Pao-Shin Chu, said he was caught off guard by the impact Dora had from roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) away.

害羞草研究所淗urricane Dora is very far away from Hawaii, but you still have this fire occurrence here. So this is something we didn害羞草研究所檛 expect to see,害羞草研究所� he said.

Strong winds, combined with low humidity and an abundance of dry vegetation that burns easily, can increase the danger of wildfire, even on a tropical island like Maui.

害羞草研究所淚f you have all of those conditions at the same time, it害羞草研究所檚 often what the National Weather Service calls 害羞草研究所榬ed flag conditions,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.

How climate change plays a role

害羞草研究所淐limate change in many parts of the world is increasing vegetation dryness, in large part because temperatures are hotter,害羞草研究所� Fleishman said. 害羞草研究所淓ven if you have the same amount of precipitation, if you have higher temperatures, things dry out faster.害羞草研究所�

Clay Trauernicht, a fire scientist at the University of Hawaii, said the wet season can spur plants like Guinea grass, a nonnative, invasive species found across parts of Maui, to grow as quickly as 6 inches (15 centimeters) a day and reach up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall. When it dries out, it creates a tinderbox that害羞草研究所檚 ripe for wildfire.

害羞草研究所淭hese grasslands accumulate fuels very rapidly,害羞草研究所� Trauernicht said. 害羞草研究所淚n hotter conditions and drier conditions, with variable rainfall, it害羞草研究所檚 only going to exacerbate the problem.害羞草研究所�

Stronger hurricanes

Climate change not only increases the fire risk by driving up temperatures, but also makes stronger hurricanes more likely. In turn, those storms could fuel stronger wind events like the one behind the Maui fires.

That害羞草研究所檚 on top of other threats made worse by climate changes.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 an increasing trend in the intensity of hurricanes worldwide, in part because warm air holds more water,害羞草研究所� Fleishman said. 害羞草研究所淚n addition to that, sea levels are rising worldwide, so you tend to get more severe flooding from the storm surge when a hurricane makes landfall.害羞草研究所�

While climate change can害羞草研究所檛 be said to directly cause singular events, experts say, the impact extreme weather is having on communities is undeniable.

害羞草研究所淭hese kinds of climate change-related disasters are really beyond the scope of things that we害羞草研究所檙e used to dealing with,害羞草研究所� UBC害羞草研究所檚 Copes-Gerbitz said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 these kind of multiple, interactive challenges that really lead to a disaster.害羞草研究所�

Claire Rush, The Associated Press