Hawaii wildfire victims made it just blocks before becoming trapped by flames, report says

HONOLULU – As fierce winds fueled flames through a neighborhood in Lahaina, a group of six neighbors, including an 11-year-old and his parents, attempted to escape the wildfire. After abandoning their cars on a blocked road, they sought refuge in an industrial outbuilding but tragically perished just blocks from their homes.

Their desperate efforts were revealed in a report released Friday by the Fire Safety Research Institute, investigating the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfire, which claimed at least 102 lives. The report, prepared for Hawaii’s attorney general, criticized the lack of preparedness by state officials despite warnings of dangerous fire weather. It concluded that the absence of planning hampered evacuation efforts before Lahaina was engulfed by flames.

The wildfire, intensified by dry conditions and strong winds from a passing hurricane, was the deadliest in the U.S. in over a century. The report shared stories like that of 86-year-old Joseph Lara, who was found near his truck in a parking lot. His daughter, Misty Lara, expressed her grief, wondering if he might have survived had he taken a different route.

The report highlighted the trauma faced by the 17,000 survivors, many of whom fled through fire and smoke, sought safety in the ocean, or ran for their lives. More than 60% of victims tried to escape, with most fatalities occurring in central Lahaina, where the fire spread rapidly, leaving little time to evacuate. Traffic jams, downed power lines, and blocked roads added to the chaos, trapping many in their cars or close to home. The average distance between where evacuees lived and where their bodies were found was just 800 feet.