July 22, 2023 – In Breaking News – The Associated Press

As flames tore through a West Maui neighborhood, car after car of fleeing residents headed for the only paved road out of town in a desperate race for safety.

And car after car was turned back toward the rapidly spreading wildfire by a barricade blocking access to Highway 30.

One family swerved around the barricade and was safe in a nearby town 48 minutes later, another drove their 4-wheel-drive car down a dirt road to escape. One man took a dirt road uphill, climbing above the fire and watching as Lahaina burned.

He later picked his way through the flames, smoke, and rubble to pull survivors to safety.

(Maui survivors, first responders, and others speak about their harrowing experiences and frustrations as more details behind the deadly blaze emerge. Courtesy of ABC News and YouTube. Posted on Aug 18, 2023.)

But dozens of others found themselves caught in a hellscape, their cars jammed together on a narrow road, surrounded by flames on three sides and the rocky ocean waves on the fourth.

Some died in their cars, while others tried to run for safety.

“I could see from the bypass that people were stuck on the balconies, so I went down and checked it out,” said Kekoa Lansford, who made several trips into town to look for survivors.

What he found was horrible, Lansford said, with dead bodies and flames like a hellish movie scene.

“And I could see that people were on fire, that the fire was just being stoked by the wind and being pushed toward the homes.”

(As the devastating fires burned in Lahaina, people took refuge in a nearby swimming pool. Video shows strong winds that carried thick clouds of smoke as surrounding structures burned down. Courtesy of ABC7 News Bay Area and YouTube. Posted Aug 15, 2023.)

The road closures — some because of the fire, some because of downed power lines — contributed to making historic Lahaina the site of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

But there were many problems that day, and in some ways the disaster began long before the fires started.

A flash drought in the region provided plenty of kindling, and Hurricane Dora brought strong winds to Maui as it passed roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of the Hawaii island chain.

Those winds downed at least 30 power poles in West Maui, and Hawaiian Electric had no procedure in place for turning off the grid — a common practice in other fire-prone states.

Video shot by a Lahaina resident shows a downed powerline setting dry grasses alight, possibly revealing the start of the larger fire.

(Maui Police Chief John Pelletier stresses the importance of recovery crews working diligently, not quickly, and Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. discusses efforts to account for hundreds still missing after Lahaina wildfire. During a news conference Tuesday, Police Pelletier said police officers drove up and down streets, knocking on doors and using loudspeakers to tell people to leave. Courtesy of Hawaii News Now and YouTube. Posted on Aug 22, 2023.)

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Editor’s note: In deadly Maui fires, many had no warning and no way out. Those who dodged barricades survived

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Maui survivors, first responders, and their loved ones, including the family, friends, coworkers, and community of 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Award Honoree, HSI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge John Tobon.

HSI Honolulu SAC John Tobon Honored in 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now entering its Eighth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

John F. Tobon

Excellence in Homeland Security

• In his position as Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Honolulu, John Tobon oversees HSI criminal investigations in an area of responsibility encompassing the four island counties of the State of Hawaii, four U.S. territories, three Freely Associated States and 12 Pacific Island nations.

• Tobon is a recognized subject matter expert on money laundering and financial crime, and his analysis of money laundering issues and risks often appears in national and international television and print media.
  

• During his over 20-year law enforcement career Tobon has participated in numerous high-profile money-laundering investigations targeting transnational criminal organizations and has helped shape international anti-money laundering policy as a member of U.S. delegations.

• He regularly shares his knowledge and expertise at conferences and training sessions attended by public and private industry personnel worldwide.

• Tobon is an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he lectures on Global Financial Crimes.

Additionally…

ICE HSI Honored in 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program