Islands were caught between large LOW pressure area and a large HIGH pressure area (the storm) to the North and South of HI, respectively. The two weather systems created a vortex of very high winds that caused the rapid spread of fires from East to West.
I may have mixed up the low and high areas; not sure.
Anyway... The system on the North has clockwise winds and the one on the South has opposite winds.
The winds here on Oahu were insane, I can actually imagine them the same over there.