False Lead Alarm: Wildfires in West Maui Did Not Cause Widespread Lead Exposure, Say Health Officials

In the aftermath of last summer’s wildfires in west Maui, health officials reported that testing conducted on residents did not show evidence of widespread lead exposure. Blood samples were taken from 557 individuals following the deadly fires that devastated the town of Lahaina, but only 27 tested positive for lead.

Further testing revealed that 15 out of the 27 individuals did not have elevated blood lead levels, indicating false positives in their initial screenings. The state health department emphasized that despite the devastating effects of the wildfires, the community did not show signs of significant lead exposure.

Dr. Kenneth Fink, the state Health Director, stated that the results were reassuring and indicated that there were no expected health impacts due to toxins in the wildfire ash. Lead is a heavy metal of concern that was found in high concentrations in the ashes of the wildfires, but the results of the testing did not suggest widespread exposure to the toxic metal among the residents of west Maui.