Some of Galveston’s local independent tour guides are accusing their competitors with the national tour companies of telling made-up histories.
The two hours of recordings obtained late Thursday add another layer to what is known about the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.FILE - The hall of historic Waiola Church engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, Hawaii. LAHAINA, Hawaii — Trapped in their cars, in homes or on the beach as flames, black smoke and embers swirled around them, people in the of Lahaina called 911, the one number that might send help or tell them what to do, where to go.
The dispatchers often showed compassion, working to soothe residents and telling them to do whatever they needed to do to be safe. As circumstances changed, some callers were told to stay in their cars, others to run for their lives or to head for the ocean. Many were urged to shelter at the Lahaina Civic Center if they could make it.
The pleas for help came one after another, people calling because they were stuck in cars, trapped by fallen trees and power lines, or worried about loved ones who were home alone. Again and again, overwhelmed dispatchers apologized but said there was no one available to send to their location. Authorities redacted names and addresses from the recordings to avoid releasing personally identifying information. For many of the recordings, it was not clear whether the callers made it to safety.
“He would literally have to be carried out,” she told the dispatcher. “I just had to leave him because I had the rest of my family in the car.” As the disaster in Lahaina progressed, frustrations increased. One dispatcher briefly chastised a man when he called at 4:56 p.m. to report his older adult parents were stuck in their burning home.
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