‘Heaven on Earth’ turned deadly: Fire exposes Maui’s shocking lack of preparation
The fire that raged through West Maui last week — leveling a historic community and killing more than 100 people — has exposed major weaknesses in the island’s preparations for such a disaster.
Even though officials have long known about the risk of a major blaze, a review of records and interviews shows there was no fire evacuation plan for Lahaina that was widely available to the public.
The blaze arrived with such fury that many people ran into the ocean, with some struggling to remain afloat as they choked on smoke. Others were trapped in their cars as they tried to flee along jammed, narrow roads. Residents have said they got little or no notice of the fire and that evacuation efforts were chaotic.
Hawaii’s community wildfire protection plan for West Maui, dated from 2014, notes that while
