Searching for the missing on Maui, some wait in agony to make contact. And then the phone rings

By MARK THIESSEN, ED KOMENDA and AUDREY MCAVOY

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — As smoke cleared from the fires in Maui that killed at least 80 people and wiped out a historic town, the firestorm left hundreds of people searching desperately for missing loved ones. But amid the tragedy, glimmers of joy and relief broke through as mothers, brothers and fathers reached safety and finally got in touch. After the fires raced through parched brush covering this week, names of people missing after the calamitous fires filled spreadsheets. Desperate pleas for information peppered social media platforms with pictures of those missing. Others used gumshoe tactics, scouring shelters looking for people who are missing.