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Call for Papers: Special Issue on Learning from the 2023 Lahaina Fire Disaster
Guest Editors:
Karl Kim, Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of Hawaii, ([email protected])
Liesel Ritchie, Department of Sociology, Virginia Tech, ([email protected])
Description & Scope
The August 8, 2023 disaster in Lahaina, Maui was the worst fire disaster in U.S. modern history.
At least 102 people died and thousands were injured. Most of those who perished were among the most precious members of society - older adults, persons with disabilities, and others struggling to overcome social and economic barriers. Nearly 3,000 structures – homes, businesses, churches, schools, and public facilities were destroyed. Most of the population living in Lahaina were renters. The fire, in all likelihood, was ignited by downed power lines in the WUI (Wildland-Urban-Interface) but spread to fallow, poorly managed agricultural lands and then to the Lahaina historic district, one of the largest and oldest in the nation. This was the second largest employment center on the island. Many small business owners, as well as full- and part-time workers, lost their jobs and livelihoods. Many worked in the visitor industry. Approximately 2,777 motor vehicles were left behind and burned. Many historic properties built prior to the enactment and enforcement of building and zoning codes were burned and released toxins into the air, soil, water, and nearshore environments. Long-term public health and environmental hazards have complicated recovery efforts. It will take decades to clean up, remediate, restore, and recover from this disaster.
This tragedy beckons further inquiry and research to understand what happened, what went wrong, and how the loss of life could have been prevented. While there are unique circumstances and complicated pre-existing conditions, what are the lessons in terms of fire detection, alert and warning, evacuation planning and execution, command and control, communications, coordination, collaboration and building effective preparedness, and response and recovery capabilities. We seek research that involves interdisciplinary perspectives from scientists, social scientists, planners, architects, engineers, emergency managers, first responders, community development specialists and others interested in learning what went wrong and what could have been done to save lives, reduce harm, and promote equitable outcomes during recovery efforts. We look forward to learning about the application of new technologies, tools, analytical capabilities, and data and methods for understanding hazard science, human behavior, and complex systems. We are particularly interested in the important connections between climate science, fire weather, and effective community preparedness, response, and recovery.
We’d like to hear from practitioners and field researchers experienced in collecting perishable data from survivors who have translated values, ideas, practices, and lessons across diverse hazards and cultures. The special issue will include papers addressing disaster governance and specific, tactical and operational guidance for improving response and recovery from fire disasters. We also welcome consideration of local, indigenous knowledge and place-based systems and practices for healing, restoration, and advancing nature-based solutions following disasters in addition to building codes, zoning ordinances, fire safety standards, and novel approaches to land development.
While there are unique opportunities to “learn from Lahaina,” there is much need to learn from others and engage in collaborative, convergence across disciplines and communities of practice. We look forward to hearing from you, receiving your abstracts, reading your papers, and working to promote further understanding, dialogue, and deliberation on wildfires, climate resilience and existential threats to our local communities and planet.
Submission Deadlines
- Contact potential contributors: August 8, 2024
- Expression of interest by authors: September 15, 2024
- Invitations extended to potential authors: November 1, 2024
- Submission deadline for papers: January 15, 2025
- Submission deadline for first round of reviews: February 15, 2025
- Submission deadline for revised papers: March 31, 2025
- Submission deadline for final decisions: May 15, 2025
- Final proofs: July 1, 2025
- Publication: August 8, 2025
Submission Guidelines
Prospective authors are requested to express their interest, along with a tentative title, list of authors with affiliations (designating a corresponding author with preferred email), and a 100-word abstract by September 15, 2024 to the guest co-editors ([email protected]; [email protected]). They are asked to include the term, Learning from Lahaina, in the subject line of the email message. The guest editors will review the abstracts and invite authors to submit full manuscripts for peer review. Invited authors should prepare their manuscripts according to the length limits and preparation guidelines available at “Publishing in ASCE Journals: A Guide for Authors”. Invited authors should follow the guidelines for ASCE journal submission and submit manuscripts electronically through the Natural Hazards Review Editorial Manager by January 15, 2025. When submitting their manuscripts, authors should indicate that the paper is being submitted in response to this call for papers (Learning from Lahaina) and the Guest Editors’ names (Karl Kim and Liesel Ritchie).
Please note that an invitation to submit papers for peer review does not imply acceptance for publication. Submitted papers will be subject to the normal refereed peer review process of the journal. All accepted papers for this solicitation will be published in regular issues of the journal as they are accepted and will be added to a special online collection (which is similar to a print version of a special issue) and will be indexed for citations like other regular journal papers. Authors may request open access, if they prefer, at an additional cost of $2,500.