A survivor of the Lahaina wildfire says the tragedy was not an isolated incident.

On Aug. 8, 2023, I lost my home in the Lahaina wildfire. It was a terrifying, heartbreaking day that changed my life and the lives of thousands of others.

In just a few hours, fire swept through our historic town, taking more than 100 lives, displacing families, and leaving us to breathe in toxic ash as we grieved the unthinkable.

This was not a freak event. It was a climate disaster, fueled by rising temperatures, dry conditions and high winds. And it was, above all, a public health crisis.

That is why Hawaiʻi’s recent declaration of climate change as a public health emergency matters so much to me.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 111 , passed on April 21, makes Hawaiʻi the first state to formally recogni

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