HONOLULU — The wind drove flames from house to house as a group of neighbors tried to escape their burning subdivision, abandoning their cars on a blocked road and running to an industrial outbuilding for safety. All six died just a few blocks from their homes.

The group, including an 11-year-old and his parents, were among the victims whose desperate attempts to escape the Lahaina wildfire were described for the first time in a report released Friday. The investigation by the Fire Safety Research Institute for the Hawaii attorney general’s office delved into the conditions that fueled the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century and the efforts to stop its spread and evacuate city residents.

It found “no evidence” that Hawaii officials prepared for the wildfire, despite days of warnings that critical fire weather was on the way, and that a lack of planning hampered efforts to evacuate Lahaina before it burned.

At least 102 people died in the August 8, 2023 wildfire fueled by dry conditions and strong winds from a hurricane that passed to Maui’s south.

Joseph Lara, 86, was found outside his purple 2003 Ford Ranger pickup at the parking structure of an outlet mall and “could have attempted to go north on Front Street before getting stuck in traffic,” according to the report.

His daughter told The Associated Press on Friday that she tries not to think about how he could still be alive if he had taken a different turn to escape.

“He was alone. He had no one to tell him to go here, here, here,” Misty Lara said. “I cannot understand what his last thoughts were.”

The report is a reminder of the trauma experienced by the approximately 17,000 people who survived by driving through fire and blinding smoke, escaping the flames on foot or bicycle, or huddling in the ocean behind a beach for hours as propane tanks and car batteries exploded around them .

“I grew up in Lahaina and like many in that community, I lost family on August 8,” said Assistant Attorney General Ciara Kahahane. “Through my involvement in this investigation, I humbly sought to serve as a voice for you, the people of Lahaina.”

More than 60% of the victims tried to escape, with many discovered in or outside their cars or huddled against the seawall. Nearly 80% of the deaths were in the central part of Lahaina, where the fire flared up and spread rapidly in the afternoon, leaving little time to evacuate.

Many were stuck in traffic jams caused by downed power poles, accidents, malfunctioning traffic signals and poor visibility. Some back roads that could have provided an alternative escape were blocked by locked gates.

For those who evacuated, the distance between their homes and the locations where they were found averaged 800 feet (244 meters), according to the report.

A couple were found in their car after turning into a cul-de-sac in the chaos, with the flames behind them boxing them in. A man found huddled in the entrance of a house had abandoned his car, presumably to seek shelter from the heat and smoke. Others took refuge alone in fast food restaurants or furniture stores.

Lahaina’s already deteriorating infrastructure complicated the evacuation effort, the report noted. Extended family housing meant households had multiple vehicles, parked on narrow, congested streets, creating bottlenecks during evacuations and blocking fire hydrants.

One road, Kuhua Street, had the most deaths: More than two dozen victims were found on or near the narrow stretch of road that was the only route to safety for many in the densely populated area.

It was the same street where the report noted that a fire truck was overtaken by flames and a party of firefighters nearly lost their lives. And it was the same street where a car accident trapped 10 people whose bodies were found in or around cars.

Joseph Schilling, 67, was found next to a fence on Kuhua Street, less than half a mile (800 meters) from the retirement complex where he lived. Emergency officials had already tried to help several people who called 911 to report the road became impassable.

Six other residents of the independent living complex who were not evacuated died in their apartments. Their average age was 86 years.

Some elderly people tried to evacuate, even without reliable transportation.

Claudette Heermance, 68, called 911 to ask what to do and dispatchers told her to evacuate. She left her nursing home on a motorized scooter, but it ended as the flames advanced, according to an autopsy report released after her death.

Badly burned, she remained in hospice for seven months until she died in March.

She was the 102nd – and final – victim to be identified.

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