Chaotic Maui Evacuation: Police Block Exits As Wildfire Forces Ocean Escape
Jonathan Petramala

Aug 17, 2023 LAHAINA
Firsthand accounts of survivors from the deadly wildfires that devastated Maui in August 2023 are in part 2 of my documentary "Hell in Paradise" (part 1 here: • Families flee wildfires into ocean as...)
Includes dramatic video footage showing the chaotic evacuation of Lahaina as police blocked streets, forcing residents to abandon vehicles and jump into the ocean to escape the raging flames. Interviews with teens who escaped with their mother by swimming out to sea, a survivor who huddled under a wet blanket in a canal, and others who recount their harrowing stories of survival. The fast-moving wildfires leveled most of the historic town, killing over 100 people. It's the deadliest wildfire in over a century in the United States. Also we take a close look at the iconic 150-year-old banyan tree that had become a symbol of Lahaina. A heartbreaking look at the devastation from Hawai'i's worst wildfire disaster.

[video] Glimpse of the conditions in the ocean. The brothers and mother remained in the ocean for over five hours.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0beYjT6ko [Embed]