Russell Family displaced by Lahaina Wildfires

Hello all- our dear friends, Norman and Cambria Russell, their son Rio and daughter Asia have been displaced from their home in Lahaina indefinitely due to the Wildfires on August 8. Norman (Junior) was separated from his family during the fires while he was at work. Unable to reach them back in Lahaina he had no idea if they’d evacuated safely or not. Desperate to find them he attempted to scale the West Maui Mountains but couldn’t get down to them. I spent a lot of time on the phone with Junior and my sister in Honokowai attempting to locate them. The Maui community really mobilized to help reunite them all after a harrowing 48 hours apart.

Junior has since been able to walk into their neighborhood in Lahaina. Their home is miraculously still standing but everything around it is gone. The entryway carpet is singed and there is toxic ash in the attic and garage. The house smells of rotten food and smoke. Junior described an apocalyptic scene to me; National Guard in hazmat suits patrolling the area looking for bodies and telling him that a very old town just went up in smoke- everything is toxic, fires still burning and cars still blowing up. Beloved Lahaina town won’t be inhabitable for a long time. It’s truly heartbreaking.

Juniors income, like so many others, depends on tourism and has been completely disrupted. Cambria’s place of business is gone as are their children’s schools.

We don’t know how long they’ll be displaced or in what capacity they’ll be able to return- but in the meantime we’re asking for help to carry them while they continue to pay their mortgage, bills, rent, food, clothing, etc.. without an income.

These are wonderful, caring, hardworking and loving people. Please help them if you can!