Stephen Dubner

The island started to lose electricity, and near the town of Lahaina, there was a brush fire. Firefighters arrived, and it was soon declared contained. But later that day, the high winds caused a flare-up.

What happened next, you have probably read about or seen in horrifying videos and news coverage. The town of Lahaina was swallowed by fire. People tried to flee in their cars, but the roads were clogged. Some people jumped in the ocean to escape. Here is one survivor.

What happened next, you have probably read about or seen in horrifying videos and news coverage. The town of Lahaina was swallowed by fire. People tried to flee in their cars, but the roads were clogged. Some people jumped in the ocean to escape. Here is one survivor.

What happened next, you have probably read about or seen in horrifying videos and news coverage. The town of Lahaina was swallowed by fire. People tried to flee in their cars, but the roads were clogged. Some people jumped in the ocean to escape. Here is one survivor.

By the time the fire was out, 102 people had died. More than 2,000 buildings had been destroyed, most of them homes.

By the time the fire was out, 102 people had died. More than 2,000 buildings had been destroyed, most of them homes.

By the time the fire was out, 102 people had died. More than 2,000 buildings had been destroyed, most of them homes.

Who messed up real bad? That is the kind of question that some people make it their business to find out. In my work, failure is fatal. Ed Gallia is director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich in London. He got his PhD in astrophysics.

Who messed up real bad? That is the kind of question that some people make it their business to find out. In my work, failure is fatal. Ed Gallia is director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich in London. He got his PhD in astrophysics.

Who messed up real bad? That is the kind of question that some people make it their business to find out. In my work, failure is fatal. Ed Gallia is director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich in London. He got his PhD in astrophysics.

Gallia studies how people react to disasters.

Gallia studies how people react to disasters.

Gallia studies how people react to disasters.

Wait a minute. Events that were predictable and preventable? Like marauding armed shooters? or that crowd crush on Halloween in Seoul, South Korea, where more than 150 young people were killed? Don't events like these happen because they weren't predictable and preventable?

Wait a minute. Events that were predictable and preventable? Like marauding armed shooters? or that crowd crush on Halloween in Seoul, South Korea, where more than 150 young people were killed? Don't events like these happen because they weren't predictable and preventable?

Wait a minute. Events that were predictable and preventable? Like marauding armed shooters? or that crowd crush on Halloween in Seoul, South Korea, where more than 150 young people were killed? Don't events like these happen because they weren't predictable and preventable?

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

We tend to use the word tragedy to describe all kinds of terrible events, but what do you call a tragedy that was predictable and preventable? You call that a failure. At least Ed Gallia does. Consider the 102 people who died by fire in Lahaina.

Hawaii has a robust emergency warning system, although it is most famous for having falsely notified the entire state of an impending missile strike in 2018. But the system appears to have failed during the wildfires. This is from an NBC News interview with a survivor.