David Butow, a long-time subscriber as well as the author of the AP30 cover image, is currently covering the fires in Hawaii. In his  post to IG yesterday, he tells why information has been so slow to emerge from the disaster. David’s coverage for this week's TIME, which focused on the work of being a journalist on the ground, includes the cover

More of my coverage from the fires in Maui and writing more here to provide some information about how these—and other pictures of the disaster’s aftermath, were made. Above: The landscape of destruction in Lahaina, Maui, seen on Aug. 14.

Some of these pictures were taken in Kula, a small town near Kuhuli, where the main airport is, but this part of the island was mostly spared. Lahaina, the town that was essentially destroyed, is about 20 miles up the coast. There were north and south checkpoints on the only road into Lahaina. The rules were that only official emergency workers, aid volunteers and some residents of areas inside the checkpoints were allowed through. Above:  A woman, who asked not to be named, hoses down a still-hot part of the property of a friend whose house burned down in Kula on Aug. 12. 

Journalists were not barred per se, but they weren't on the general list of people who could drive in. Even some residents, depending on exactly where they live, were denied entry. This meant that writers and photographers who wanted to reach Lahania had to find another way to get in other than just driving their rental cars. Crews from the New York Times, CNN and a few others got in relatively early—and intrepidly—by boat, plane and helicopter. @philipcheungphoto @gonakamu and @maxwhittaker for the NYTimes did amazing and brave work just to get there. Above: Maui residents line up to get free supplies at a Costco in Kahului on Aug. 14.

If you arrived on the island like me, a few days after the fire, you had to try to go in with volunteers, which I finally did on Monday. But even so, you had to kind of work on the sly. Four out of these nine pictures, as well as my TIME cover image, were taken in Lahaina in a +/-30-minute period before I had to flee because the police had stopped me and the small volunteer group I was with from being in the area. This really hampers talking to people on site and getting better information about the situation. There are ways the local government could facilitate some access and transparency without allowing a media mob scene, but as of this writing, they've failed to do that. Above: At the first Sunday service since the deadly fires last week, parishioners of the Kupaianaha church pray for healing after the tragedy, in Wailuku on Aug. 13. Below: At the first Sunday service since the deadly fires last week, parishioners of the Kupaianaha church pray for healing after the tragedy, in Wailuku on Aug. 13.

All images: © David Butow for TIME