Hawaii emergency management records do not indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.
There was an eerie traffic jam of charred cars that didn't escape the inferno as surviving roosters meandered through the ashes. Skeletal remains of buildings bowed under roofs that pancaked in the blaze. Palm trees were torched, boats in the harbour were scorched and the stench of burning lingered. The danger on Maui was well known. Maui County's hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the island's second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.
Governor Josh Green had warned the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue.