The ring of buildings with the destroyed sections had a firebreak of parking lot around it. The two ends of the ring of buildings didn't burn, although the trees and bushes between the burned sides did. As if the hot wind blew sparks over the break, across the middle section, and set the buildings and bushes in that path on fire. Maybe the green space had sprinklers that had been running and made the ends cooler or damper? It looks rather greener and lusher in the "before" picture than some parts of Lahaina, which is on the dry side of the island.