The wildfire in August that tore through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina was the most catastrophic in a century for the United States. A minimum of 99 individuals lost their lives.

You may remember the images of people leaping into the Pacific Ocean to escape as the fire engulfed most of the historic town in a matter of hours. However, there is an untold tale about a team of firefighters who were also trapped while battling the rapidly spreading flames.

Today, you will hear from those Maui county firefighters about the two most horrifying hours of their lives. They made a courageous stand to protect their hometown, even without their most essential tool - water.

The morning started with clear skies and winds reaching nearly 60 miles per hour.

Aina Kohler: I was just observing the ocean, and observing what was happening on the ocean, and I had never seen anything like that before.

Sharyn Alfonsi: What was happening on the ocean?

Aina Kohler: It was just like froth, it was completely white. And there were whirlwinds that sat out there for over an hour.

Sharyn Alfonsi: Like, they had been stirred up?

Aina Kohler: Yeah. Yeah, the winds were absolutely crazy.

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Sharyn Alfonsi: How fast was the fire moving at that point?

Aina Kohler: Um I couldn't tell. I could tell how fast the smoke is moving, and it was kinda, like, not even going up, it was going sideways.

The cause of the afternoon fire is still unknown. But mike walker had warned Hawaiian lawmakers about the danger of overgrown grass here for five years. 

Sharyn Alfonsi: So how much of this is native to Hawaii? 

Mike Walker: None of it.

Walker is in charge of fire protection for Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources. The type of grass he showed us is from Africa. It was brought here a century ago for cattle grazing because it grows fast even with little water.

Sharyn Alfonsi: What can you do to make sure that this isn't a tinder box?

Mike Walker: Well, a lotta the land right now is just unmanaged. It's either folks don't have the finances, or it's not economically worth it to work the land, or they're just banking the land for future development. I think you can see what happens when we do nothing. 

On August 8th, a few minutes after 3 o'clock, wind carried burning grass toward homes half a mile away.

Water Supply System Suffers Over 2,000 Pipe Breaks Due to Fire

Amidst the chaos and devastation, Keahi Ho recounts the moment he heard that his mom's office was engulfed in flames. Despite being far away, the reality of the situation sank in as he realized that he was running out of water. "Man, it's over," he thought, acknowledging the overwhelming odds they were facing.

A fire truck provided a harrowing view of the scene, with black skies illuminated by a massive inferno that stretched for blocks. Unfortunately, the firefighters lacked the necessary resources to combat the blaze.

Residents claim that they never received an evacuation order, leading to a frantic race by the police to evacuate people from the area. Meanwhile, reinforcements from other fire stations, including 26-year-old Tanner Mosher from Engine 6, started arriving on Maui.

Entering the smoke-filled environment, Mosher describes the limited visibility of only five to ten feet. Captain Jay Fujita adds that the intense heat felt like a blowtorch being directed at them.

Captain Jay Fujita, an experienced firefighter, led Engine 1 to a position just beyond the wall of fire, alongside Mosher's crew. By 4:30, the streets were congested with cars as residents and tourists attempted to flee. A 911 operator urged them to leave, even if they had to abandon their vehicles.

Trapped by abandoned cars and a tangle of downed power lines, the eight firefighters and their two engines found themselves in a precarious situation.

Tanner Mosher refused to give up when faced with a dangerous situation. He recalls looking out the window and spotting a small fire truck, known as a skeeter. Without hesitation, Mosher jumped into the truck alone in an attempt to clear a path for the larger engines to escape. However, when he realized that the skeeter couldn't drive through the barricade of cars, Mosher made a split-second decision to drive over them in search of help.

Mosher vividly remembers putting the skeeter in four-wheel drive and launching over the barricade. He successfully cleared it, but encountered a rock wall at the end of the lot. Undeterred, he launched over the rock wall, albeit catching some power lines in the process. Despite driving through the smoke with limited visibility, Mosher skillfully maneuvered, dodging obstacles along the way.

Although his truck suffered damage, Mosher's determination paid off when he spotted the lights of a police car down the road.

During the intense fire, Tanner Mosher bravely risked his life to save Captain Jay Fujita and his fellow firefighters. Mosher, with sheer determination, managed to reach the captain who was trapped inside a police SUV. With the captain's legs hanging out, Mosher made a daring jump to safety, ensuring that everyone survived.

When asked if Mosher saved his life, Captain Jay Fujita expressed his gratitude and confirmed that Mosher's heroic act indeed saved all of their lives. Despite being a young guy, Mosher displayed an innate heroism that cannot be taught.

After the rescue, the firefighters immediately performed CPR and stabilized Captain Mullalley. Remarkably, all seven of them returned to work, continuing to fight fires throughout the night and into the next morning.

With limited water resources, their focus shifted to saving as many people as possible amidst the burning debris. Aina Kohler, a local firefighter, abandoned her fire engine and skillfully maneuvered a pickup truck through the downtown area, utilizing her knowledge of the area to navigate through the chaos.

Fire Devastation in Lahaina