First Thing: Hawaii fires made ‘much more dangerous’ by climate crisis

An aerial image shows homes and other buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina, where at least 55 people have died. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Good morning.

The devastating fires in Hawaii, where at least 55 people have died after a conflagration that engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, were worsened by a number of factors including the climate crisis, scientists have said.