missing. around 850 people are still unaccounted for. we are hurting because not only have we lost our historical places and our homes, but we have lost our loved ones. reporter: and tonight there is new concern over how aware maui county officials were of the conditions on the ground august 8th, in part because of this interview mayor richard bissen gave to local staion kitv just after 6:00 p.m. i m happy to report that the road is open to and from lahaina. reporter: but by this point the fire had already spread into downtown lahaina. oh, my god, i can t see anything. we are surrounded by [bleep] fire. reporter: the mayor unaware that much of downtown was ablaze. and many residents were either caught in or were fleeing the flames. we have reports of structures, older buildings that have been burnt in lahaina. we actually our update is going to come in at about 7:00 p.m. reporter: and late to comprehend just how devastating the fires actually were. and we reached out