A relative of one of the victims from the Lahaina, Maui, wildfires said that her aunt was attempting to help evacuate an elderly neighbor when her vehicle was "engulfed" by the flames.
Several wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island this month, flattening businesses and leaving hundreds without homes. As of Sunday night, Maui County officials reported that at least 96 people have died from the devastation with more still unaccounted for.
Fires continue to burn as of Monday, although officials said that the flames that tore through Lahaina, a historical beach town in Maui, are now 85 percent contained. Other fires have either been 100 percent contained or extinguished, while hot spots are still active in Upcountry, Maui.
In a statement to Newsweek, Terra Thomas shared that her aunt, 62-year-old Terri Elaine Thomas, was among the victims lost in the Lahaina fires. Terri was originally from Marshall, Texas, before moving to Hawaii.
"Our family was informed by eye witness account, that Terri was attempting to evacuate with an elderly neighbor, a male friend, and Terri's beloved dogs," read Terra Thomas' statement. "Their vehicle was unable to move, and as flames rapidly approached their SUV, one of the passengers fled the vehicle, however my aunt was unable to exit, leaving her stranded as the fire engulfed her vehicle.
"Explosions were happening everywhere with four walls of fire all around them. Her vehicle was later ID'd by a neighbor, who saw the remains of my aunt and her female friend.
"Terri was a beautiful, loving, and caring member of our family, and member of the Lahaina community for nearly 30 years," Terra continued. "She was outgoing, funny, and always willing to extend help to others in need.
"This tragedy Lahaina, [Hawaii] is experiencing is heartbreaking and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone navigating through this difficult time. Our family has many questions on how this scenario unfolded. We want answers to what happened, and why there were no evacuation alerts that could have prevented the loss of Terri and her fellow friends and neighbors."
Some surviving residents who escaped the flames have said that they did not receive an official warning before evacuating Lahaina. According to a report from NBC News, the Hawaii Emergency Services Administration said Friday that no emergency outdoor sirens were set off when the fire began to escalate. Instead, residents would have received warnings through mobile phones and broadcast stations, although many were without cell phone service or electricity due to the fires.
"The sirens are used to alert the public to seek additional information; they do not necessarily indicate an evacuation," emergency officials told the outlet.
Surviving Lahaina resident Tiare Abraham told CBS News on Friday as well, "We kind of just figured it out on our own."
"I realized when it was time to go when the smoke was so dark, we could not see anything outside," she added.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Friday that he has authorized a review of the state's emergency response to the fire.
While a cause for the fires has yet to be determined, the state's main electric supplier, Hawaiian Electric Industries, is facing a lawsuit that blames the company for some of the damage. Plaintiffs claim that the electric company's failure to not shut off its power lines during "dangerous fire conditions" led to the deaths, injuries and destruction across Maui.
"This destruction could have been avoided if Defendants had heeded the National Weather Service warnings and deenergized their power lines during the predicted high-win," the lawsuit read, which was reviewed by Newsweek.
The National Weather Service previously warned that high winds from Hurricane Dora in the Pacific Ocean, combined with an exceptionally-dry summer, could breed fire weather conditions.
