Hawaii study shows almost 75% of Maui wildfire survey participants have respiratory issues

By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui has found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health. It found almost half showed signs of compromised lung function. Researchers gathered the data from 679 people in January and February as part of what they hope will be a long-term study lasting at least a decade. They released early results from the research on Wednesday. They eventually hope to enroll 2,000 people in their study to generate what they call a snapshot of the estimated 10,000 people affected by the fires.