MAKAWAO, Hawaii—Rachel M. lost everything of material value in the burning wreckage of the Lahaina wildfire in West Maui last week.
Her wedding planning and property management businesses went up in flames, as did most of her personal belongings, such as the hand-crafted table her grandfather had built years ago.
“I’ve been crying all day,” Rachel told The Epoch Times. “I can never replace this stuff: CDs of my grandma. She passed away last year. My grandfather was a woodworker. I'll never be able to replace those things.”
“It’s all gone. Everything is gone—over $70,000 of my stuff. And that’s probably on the low side.”
Rachel lives in Makawao, about 33 miles east of Lahaina by car. She said the reality of her situation has just begun to sink in.
Rachel, who has asked that her last name not be used in this story, said she is expecting twins and wants to begin a new life elsewhere.
She plans to leave the Maui she has loved and called home for the past six years and move back home to Ohio or Tennessee—partly due to the fires’ effects and for better health care on the mainland.
She still hasn’t heard from six close friends since the fire leveled the resort community of Lahaina, population 13,216, on Aug. 8.
“One of my best friends was missing [for] 24 hours. There’s no cell service. Everybody was just displaced. It was an emotional 24 hours until we located her,” she said.
Like Rachel, most of her friends have lost homes and businesses in the fire. Trying to locate the missing in the chaotic aftermath remains challenging in light of the widespread power outages and spotty cellphone service.
Leaving Maui
Rachel was supposed to be in Lahaina on Aug. 8 when the fire started in the highland brush racing into the oceanside town below.The night before, she'd received an emergency alert on her cellphone that another fire was burning in the mountains of Kula. There were no such warnings for the residents of Lahaina, she said. Neither were the tsunami sirens used to alert residents who would tragically die in the fire. Many of them were children.
As of Aug. 14, the Maui Police Department has confirmed a death toll of 96, which has been climbing daily.
According to Maui County emergency management officials, about 85 percent of the Lahaina fire remains under control. In the meantime, more than 1,000 people are still missing as first responders sift through the ashes and debris, looking for more victims. Many residents have been left homeless and are living in tents or temporary shelters across the county.
The Family Assistance Center (FAC) is seeking information on loved ones and for those who are unaccounted for at the Kahului Community Center.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and FAC announced it began working with families and individuals on Aug. 10 to gather detailed information and administer DNA swabs to identify the victims.
Three other wildfires that started last week are mostly contained or extinguished. About 60 percent of the Upcountry/Kula fire is under control after burning through 678 acres.
Fire officials declared the Pulehu/Kihei fire 100 percent contained on Aug. 12, while the Puukolii/Kaanapali fire remains extinguished as of Aug. 12.
Faster Than People Could Run
At Freshies Maui restaurant in Makawao, owner Eric Ulman said the Maui wildfires were the culmination of two colliding weather systems producing winds capable of causing widespread devastation.“It’s horrible,” Mr. Ulman said. “I think the crux was the two weather systems—the high pressure and the hurricane [to the south], how it sandwiched the winds. That was truly the force.
“We’re used to trade winds—15 to 25 [miles per hour]. If there’s a spark, it’s inevitable what will happen. It rifled right through [Lahaina].
“The flames were going as fast as people could run—and that’s an able-bodied person. If you came out of your house and saw the flames, that was almost too late. It was coming with such speed.”
“I talked with some friends in Lahaina who said it moved so fast, like something out of a movie,” Rachel said.
“As morbid as it sounds, they’re not letting people into the west side because there’s bodies in the streets. It happened so fast. My friends explained it was like bombs going off. People were running and diving into the ocean. The soot was so heavy with ash, the ocean caught on fire.”
Shirley Andersen of Makawao said a relative lost 70 beehives worth an estimated $30,000 to the Kula fire.
“It’s a miracle they saved the house. The embers were flying within 50 feet of the house. We could see them from down here. They’re still putting out hotspots—five days later,” Ms. Andersen told The Epoch Times.
Dodged a Bullet
Mikunda Singh of Orange County, California, said he, too, feels lucky having “dodged a lot of bullets while vacationing near Lahaina when the fire erupted.”“We flew in last Sunday. We arrived at a resort Sunday night. Everything was fine. Monday, we had a great day at the resort and went snorkeling with the kids,” Mr. Singh said.
The family awoke to a power outage the next morning and were told that high winds had toppled wires that sparked brush fires—“but nothing to be concerned about.”
The situation grew worse a few hours later as the food in the hotel refrigerator began to spoil.
On Aug. 8, the family dined in their hotel room by flashlight and saw a strange orange glow on the balcony behind the high-rise buildings in Lahaina.
A Wildfire Like No Other
“Growing up in California, we see fires all the time,” but this fire was different, Mr. Singh said.The following day, a man in a truck warned everyone to evacuate, and the Singhs quickly packed their bags and jumped in the car.
“We packed everything in a hurry and started driving south toward Lahaina. I got a couple of miles south, and the police stopped us. They were turning everybody around,” Mr. Singh said.
The family then drove to the airport but was told the next flight wasn’t leaving until Aug. 13.
“This was the last place I thought this would ever happen,” his wife, Tina Ghahramani-Singh, said. “It’s unreal. It was truly a natural disaster.”
“It’s where you come for peace. It’s tough for the community to wrap their brains around this. It’s one of the most healing islands.”
While other hotels filled or turned away customers, the Singhs prepared to spend their nights sleeping in the car.
They managed to find a single room still available at the Peace of Maui Bed and Breakfast in Makawao.
“We packed in like sardines in one bedroom, but it’s better than sleeping in the car,” Mr. Singh said.
“We dodged lots of bullets. We were able to get to the airport. Some people died in their cars trying to leave. There’s a line of people burned in cars trying to leave Lahaina. Who knows what would have happened to us out there?”
