Lahaina Wildfire Victim: ‘If You Stopped, You Were Dead’

Hannah Knudsen

A Lahaina man who survived the devastating wildfire recalled his escape, remarking, “If you stopped, you were dead.”

Dave Vogt, owner of Parasail, is among countless individuals who were affected by the devastating wildfires across Maui County.

“Everything was blowing up. Everything. Every five seconds you hear, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!'” he told People, surmising that the explosions were from gas tanks in vehicles ablaze in the roads.

“If you stopped, you were dead,” Vogt said, describing the harrowing scene.

VIDEO — “Gut-Wrenching”: Burned-Out Cars Line Streets as Residents Survey the Ruins of Lahaina, Hawaii

He said he went to the local Safeway with his family to grab supplies before he realized the extent of the emergency.

“Something didn’t feel right, so I told her [his wife] to get out of the store,” Vogt said. “All of a sudden, power lines came crashing down. But no sign of fire yet. I have a big truck. We jumped the curb, went up the hill and just [tried] to get out of Dodge.”

Smoke gathered, and he dropped his family off five miles from the town to try to move boats from the harbor, jumped on a bike, and rode out of there.

“It was hot, just like a torch, and the wind was so strong and swirling and the glow kept getting bigger and bigger, pushing down towards us,” he said. “The fire jumped Front Street and jumped into the harbor.”

“Animals were dead in the street, people were trying to get out,” he continued. “There was no opportunity to give a warning. It was faster than anyone could have pushed a warning button, it was windy and then the fire started and it went fast.”

VIDEO — HOLD ON HOPE: Rescue Efforts Continue in Scorched Ruins of Lahaina, Hawaii

Vogt added that some individuals were essentially stuck in their cars, fearing the flames encompassing them.

According to People:

When Vogt returned on Wednesday, he surveyed the damage of an aluminum boat he [sic] had completely melted in the intense heat, burned out cars, boats smoldering in the harbor – and bodies on the seawall.

According to other reports, some locals fled to the ocean to escape the blaze.

“That whole front street and that whole area just burned down, and people ran into the water; they were jumping into the ocean; they were paddling out to sea,” Dr. Reza Danesh said during a Friday appearance on TODAY.

Vogt’s recollection comes as the death toll continues to increase, reaching 106 as of late Tuesday. That figure is expected to rise, as Police Chief John Pelletier revealed over the weekend that cadaver dogs — at that point — had only searched three percent of the affected areas and that the individuals they are finding remain John and Jane Does.

VIDEO — AWFUL… Drone Footage Shows Scope of Devastating Hawaii Fires

Christian Crook via Storyful

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