Maui Fires Trauma Relief

On August 8, 2023 I drove to the west side of the Island through Lahaina to work at the Spa in Kapalua. It is common for winds to rip through the valleys, but this day the winds were stronger than I had ever seen them. The winds were So strong that they created a whitewash mist on the ocean. As the sun glistened through the midst it created a rainbow across the water. I tried to enjoy the beauty as my nervous system was on high alert feeling my car blowing around and watching debris and dust storms tear through so thick it was hard to see at times. I almost picked up a guy driving on a moped next to me as he was being pummeled by sticks and rocks driving through the smoke of mountain gusts. I heard there was a brush fire, but it wasn't that bad. It seemed to be business as usual. When I got to the spa at the resort that day the power was out. Everyone scrambled to accommodate guests and support each other as we looked for rooms outside to work in. It was hot, dry, and so windy. We took guests that day. My shift was up at 3:00. It was business as usual. My colleague, who was working until 6, just remarked- let me know how traffic is on the way home, the street lights are out. It was nothing more than an inconvenience. There was no indication of the severity of the fire and no alerts. Yes, traffic was backed up, but it wasn't that bad. People were still shopping, dining, and enjoying historic Lahaina Front street as I drove through the town that day. I felt compassion for the police officers directing traffic in place of the street lights who were struggling to stand in the wind while hopping on one foot to rebalance themselves. People were taking refuge from the wind in the quaint art galleries and ice cream shops running on generators. Traffic was surprisingly lite for the situation. My point is, nobody was leaving. There was no indication that the fires were coming. The winds were fierce. I was nervous on the way home as my car was all but out of control in the wind. I was conscious of the fires in the mountain in Kula and Makawao as I was watching the smoke rise in front of me. But I was unaware of the inferno that was sweeping through the town I had just come through minutes before. I heard what sounded like bombs in the distance. I thought it was the distant sound of military planes that occasionally flew by. I was concentrating on keeping control of my car. When I arrived home a fire had broken out just one mile from the house across the street. My boyfriend and his daughter and son watched the fire. There were 2 evacuation warnings just minutes from us. We began loading the cars. Still unaware of the devastation that I had just driven out of. We seemed surrounded by fires in every direction. Where was there to go? And one single-lane road in and out of anywhere. The fire in Kihei was contained, and we all got some rest for the night.

I could not believe what I heard upon arising the next morning. Lahaina was gone. And the fires still raged. Many people did not make it out. The west side was without power and water. The fires destroyed many houses on the mountain and still burned. The wind was still fierce. Thousands without homes, and most of my friends and colleagues at work also lost their homes. Over a thousand are unaccounted for. Boats in the harbor burned, fuel leaking from the burning boats onto the water setting the water ablaze. over 50 people were picked up from the water, and even more were not rescued. The bottom line, they didn't have enough time to escape.

In the 3 days post-apocalyptic level disaster, the fire still burns. almost 2,000 in shelters and over 1000 missing. 89 reported deaths but certainly expected to rise much beyond this. The stories are too heartbreaking to tell. Maui is a small island and is short on supplies. We are in critical need of support. Many people have lost their homes, jobs, loves ones, and pets. I have personally lost my source of income. We need your support, your love, and your prayers. Calling all hearts together as one to come together to help to aid Maui residents who are suffering unfathomable circumstances.

Your donations will go to support me in supplying food, fuel, water, and necessities to our Ohana and Maui community who have been displaced. Your funds will also go to help to support me in organizing volunteer efforts to provide trauma resolution work, and grief support to people in critical need of hope.

Mahalo,

thank you for supporting Maui!