Wildfires are raging on the Hawaiian island of Maui, leaving dozens dead and destroying a historic town. | USA TODAY

For many visitors, the town of Lahaina is a place to go for tropical beaches. But for residents of Hawaii, it is a trove of history. Its heritage museum, in a landmark courthouse, houses artifacts from before the rest of the world knew Hawaii existed. Its central feature, a sprawling 150-year-old banyan tree, was planted to commemorate the arrival of Christian missionaries in 1873. That legacy and more appeared to be in ashes this week, consumed by the hurricane-driven wildfires that have devast