What a weak article. The real causes:
1. The pineapple plantation companies left Maui.
2. The pineapple fields were no longer irrigated and fell into ruin.
3. Non-native, highly flammable invasive grasses took over the fields.
4. Nobody was responsible for controlling the explosive growth of the grasses.
5. The tall, combustible grasses grew right up to the edge of Lahaina.
6. The government did not demand fuel load reduction programs.
7. The government KNEW of the fire hazard posed by the grasses and did nothing.
8. The government run warning system that falsely alarmed incoming Russian nuclear attack failed to go off.
Pretty good list but I would change 6 to say the government blocked fuel load reduction problems in the name of “environmentalism”. We see this all over the left coast. It sounds like a Canadian company purchased much of the farmland there and its just sitting - maybe Hawaii should think about requiring them to maintain the land?
However, unlike many here and in conservative media (seemingly) I am not sure about the conspiracy ideas being floated for the fire. When you have that kind of windspeed it is inevitable that you will have tree tops and large branches flying out of trees. When they make contact with two power lines you create a burning branch and/or arc severing of the transmission lines. In the conditions you accurately describe that will result in a fire.
The height of the dry grasses and unkempt overgrown fields means you will get one helluva fire and spot fires in front of the fire front. It’s an ugly scene.
Re trees, the article where I picked up that info also said that non-native pine trees have taken over and squeezed out the native tropical vegetation. The pine trees have, of course, a huge load of highly flammable resin. The article said that their pine cones, catch on fire, explode, and the burning seeds are transported on the wind rapidly spreading the fire.
So it is yet another case of non-native vegetation out-competing the native vegetation leading to massive forest fires.