LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui County released audio of 911 calls from a deadly August wildfire on Thursday in response to a public record request from The Associated Press.
The 911 audio adds another layer to what is known about the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, illustrating some of the chaos and fear that residents and their loved ones experienced as they tried to reach safety. Maui County released the first batch of audio spanning a two-hour period that covers the time the fire was spreading through the town.
At least 98 people died in the Aug. 8 fire and more than 2,000 structures were destroyed, most of them homes.