Everything Lost in Lahaina Maui Fire

Hi,

My name is Kimberly and Cassandra and I have been friends for 30 years. We met in High School and I have spent quite a bit of time with her in Maui as she loves living there and went there after she graduated. Cassandra, her boyfriend Sean and their dog Willow are lucky to be alive and they lost everything including their car in the Lahaina fire.

The escaped with only the clothes on their backs.

These funds will be used to help them get back on their feet with shelter, food, clothes, and transportation. Please join me in donating to my ohana.

Here is her story in her words: My boyfriend my dog and myself got stuck right in the. middle of the fire. no way out. The evacuation warning didn’t happen until it was too late. this possibly could be because the winds had been so high (by the way the news at 10 pm night before said … maybe slight winds and possibly good surf).. all day we didn’t have service so maybe it just came late but knowing there’s no cell

service for the emergency warnings they should have set off the tsunami sirens we hear once a month to make sure they work and they never did. the evacuation notice finally happened and we left within five minutes and i opened the from door and you couldn’t see already. it was just black. it blew in so fast. the cops sent us basically to what should have been our death. we made it one block from our home to a traffic jam of cars unable to leave . there was no way out. fires blocked the roads and down power lines. we were all trapped. we drove through the lahaina outlet mall … literally through it and i was getting out moving tables and chairs to get the car through. we got to front street while the buildings were burning behind us and then around us trying to get to the water but all cars were stuck there too so we turned around on the sidewalk and drove to get our car that had no gas in a cement structure parking garage.

we only made it there roasting watching cars explode and the fire 360 degrees around us for over four hrs before a fireman showed up on foot and guided us out on foot running through the flames and cars blowing up and glass shooting across us ducking under down poles and wires and climbing over them through complete black smoke to a point where we could get picked up. my boyfriend carried the dog in a wrapped towel and i have a broken foot so i have a boot on and can’t shouldn’t walk so running through ground zero and a gauntlet of absolute hell was terrifying. we made it though. everything is gone. just had the clothes on my back… which ironically i was wearing a smoky the bear says only you can prevent forest fires tank top on. people burned in their cars where we were stuck on front street. the only thing that saved us was that cement structure. we just got to the other side today which is life as usual like nothing is happening on the other side in lahaina. we have no car no anything. had no power or information or service so being in kahului now we’re finally able to communicate and work on a plan. what they’re saying on tv and showing truly doesn’t even begin to describe the reality of it. Just saw a friend that was in lahaina today and said the witnessed that “they’re pulling out so many bodies from the water they don’t have enough body bags. they’re using garbage bags. “. it’s heresay granted so that could be a stretch and i know sounds horrific but sadly is a possibility, and i don’t want to take away from the first responders and heroes that are truly facing a chrisis doing all they can to help others… i appreciate and am grateful for all responders and they’re service. i might be a little bitter but as of now i feel the govt failed us and is failing us in every way. the only way anyone is getting through this is because of the ohana(family) and aloha just helping each other. the people are helping each other and donating and supporting each other. i’m grateful to be alive. i actually sent a message to my mom saying i didn’t know when she’d get it cuz the service went out immediately when fire started and said i didn’t think we were gonna make it and i was going to die so i just wanted to say goodbye and say i love you. i’m overwhelmed with all of it right now and it hits me in waves. bottom line is im alive and safe. devastated and broken hearted but ok.