Chaos and terror: Failed communications left Maui residents trapped by fire, unable to escape

As the windswept fire invaded a historic town in Maui this week, a familiar and terrifying chain of events was set in motion.

Evacuations were chaotic as a storm of embers turned Lahaina into ash. Some ran for their lives, plunging into the harbor of the West Maui town, which has centuries of history and was once the royal residence of the Hawaiian king. Others were trapped by an urban conflagration.

Survivors described frantic efforts to escape death in a town that had been cut off from telecommunications and electricity. One witness recalled encountering a line of burned vehicles, some with charred corpses inside.

Sources with knowledge of the fire told The Times that many of those killed are believed to have died in their vehicles. The death toll thus far is from the most urbanized areas, with some bodies recovered from the harbor as well. Communication breakdowns meant many people were told too late about the wall of flames racing toward them, the sources said.

“It looked like they were trying to get