Help Jessika and Family - Lahaina Fire

Hi, my name is Andrea Mazenko and I'm fundraising for Jessika Haisley and her family who lost everything in the Lahaina fire. I have known Jessika since high school and as many who know her and are connected to her on Facebook and/or Instagram, we are used to seeing her travel experiences, humorous posts, and her living in paradise! I live in California but wanted to help the quickest way I could to help relieve any stress for Jessika and her family in any way I could.

Just hours before the fire, she and one of her sons were on a beach, happy (see photo)... before their lives would be traumatically changed.

Below is her experience she posted on Facebook. Any bit can help Jessika and her family rebuild what they can for themselves and get through this traumatic experience and will go straight to Jessika and her family!

You always hear about people whose houses burn down… you never think it will happen to you. We had only moments to gather a few things. We left as quickly as we could…

And then our car was surrounded, engulfed in flames. It was terrifying. Before evacuating (without warning) We had looked around us, from the 4th floor… we knew everything in all directions was on fire. There was only one way out. The way out was between Maui Mikes & Taco Bell… both were on fire - flames so high, so strong & so hot… black smoke so thick that we couldn’t even see in front of us. Lahaina town was on fire & we were in it.

The air was so thick, so dark & so heavy with smoke, that even one foot in front of the car was not visible. Chunks of flaming materials hurled at our car… I hoped with each hit, that nothing on my car would catch fire!

The power lines were down & they were in flames. The only way out was straight thru the flames, over/between the burning power lines… I was terrified. Petrified. I froze. I panicked. I started hyperventilating. I tried backing up. I tried to make a u-turn… behind me was also on fire. Then Aiden said, “Mom, take a deep breath. We have to go thru it, or we’ll die in the flames. We have rubber tires; it’s ok. Go over the power cords. Turn your fog lights on, honk your horn over & over & drive slowly… we HAVE TO get thru this… there is no other way out.”

Our home was in fire behind us. We hope something survived. But things are things. We made it thru the flames. We’re alive. That is what matters.