Originally from Santa Cruz, California, Michael Barrios fell in love with surfing at a young age. He took a surf trip to Maui when he was 19 and never looked back. Just a few months after moving to the island he met his wife Shaleena. Shaleena was born on O’ahu, but had also moved to Santa Cruz as a child. She had family on Maui and grew up spending all her summers there. Shaleena’s family had built a house in Lahaina in the 1940s. The Barrios eventually bought this house from her aunt and it is where they have raised their two beautiful daughters Nia and Bella, ages 7 and 9. Mike eventually started his own carpentry business and Shaleena works as a doula in addition to being a super mama. Life on Maui had been wonderful for them, but they were about to face one of their biggest challenges yet.

It was a windy morning on August 8th, 2023. Mike left for work at 6:00am as usual. There was talk of a hurricane off the coast of the Big Island, but nothing to be alarmed about at the time. However, the winds continued to rapidly increase, soon causing downed telephone poles and power outages. Mike decided to leave work and return home to check on his family.

In the short time it took him to get home the winds escalated even further. His neighbors roofs were starting to rip off of their houses, and entire trees had already come crashing down into the street. A few people were starting to evacuate, but most were still there trying to secure and protect their homes. Mike rushed to help his neighbors who were trying to strap down and anchor their roofs, but to no avail, “roofs were literally tomahawking right down the middle of the street.” The winds were blowing “offshore” from the mountains toward the ocean and smoke was starting to fill the air. Mike and his neighbors spotted fires on the hillside heading their way.

There had been no hurricane sirens, no news communication, evacuation warnings, or direction of any kind, but chaos was underway. Mike knew it was time to get out of there. He told his wife to start packing up some belongings while he soaked the house with water. Not even 15 minutes later huge walls of smoke were engulfing his neighborhood, the fire had jumped the street just around the corner from them. Mike and his family jumped into their 4-Runner and headed towards the main Lahaina exit. Traffic was a nightmare, trees and powerlines were down everywhere, there was no way out.

Mike headed down to the water to try to get out, but hit another traffic gridlock. Panic was everywhere, Front Street was igniting before their very eyes! The old weathered buildings were lighting up like gasoline. “It felt like a warzone,” Mike said, “explosions everywhere, and I have my wife and kids right there with me.” It was hot on their faces, smoke and fire all around them. Mike knew they weren’t getting anywhere in the car; going into survival mode, he pulled up close to the water and they all jumped out leaving their only remaining belongings behind.

The water in the open harbor was rough with mini cyclones spiraling up from the winds. He didn’t feel it was safe enough to keep his girls afloat out there. Mike ripped the sleeves off his shirt, soaked them in water and put them over his girls’ faces. Then they ran up the beach away from the fire as fast and as far as they could. As they built up a safe distance, they were able to jump the fence to get back to the road where a kind woman offered them a ride. They all crammed into her car and she took them to her family’s house in a neighboring town. From there they called a friend in Kula, on the other side of the mountain to come pick them up. Their friend had no idea Lahaina was even on fire, they had been dealing with their own fires which luckily seemed to be under control now. Still not a word had gone out around the island.

In the days after the fires, as helicopter footage of Lahaina spread across the news, Mike couldn’t believe his eyes, he saw his 4-Runner down by the water, melted, but still recognizable. He managed to make it to the car and retrieve their computers, IDs and a few clothes. This small blessing allowed him to send his wife and kids to stay in Santa Cruz with family for a little while. As an able-bodied protector of his community, Mike stayed to help in the aftermath in every way he could. He helped to shuttle food and supplies, and even hunted for game to help feed all the displaced families.

The fires decimated Lahaina. The Barrios house was reduced to a pile of ashes. His work van, workshop, tools, carpentry machines, their other vehicle, surfboards, toys, clothes, lifelong possessions, were all completely disintegrated. People are struggling, the community is confused, angry, and sad. Yet they continue to band together to support each other in the true Hawaiian way. Mike and his family have been lucky enough to secure a tiny apartment which they all squeeze into while still paying a mortgage for their home in Lahaina. The kids currently have no school, so they are working to figure out how to create both community and education in uncharted territory that is constantly changing. Despite all this turmoil, Mike vows that they will not leave Maui. “I don’t care how long it takes, I will build our house again in Lahaina,” Mike says, determined. “I’ve started from nothing a few different times in my life, I know we're going to be ok.”

Mike’s positivity, commitment to his family and community, and determination to survive and endure in the face of all of that destruction and despair, truly inspires us here at Nakoa. They lost everything, but they didn’t lose each other. “Being alive is the greatest gift.” Mike Barrios says.

At NAKOA we are deeply passionate about community, connection, and having a positive impact on people's lives. We have felt moved to help at the very front lines, supporting a Maui family directly whose lives had been turned upside down by these fires. We believe that together we could really make a difference in this family's world in the most unexpected and beautiful way. So, we encourage you to join us raising money to support the Barrios family to help them recover and rise above! Everything makes a difference! Give because you can. Give because it feels good. Give because you would feel so touched and loved if it was your family in their shoes. What we put out into the world is what we get back. Let's be part of something beautiful!

#MAUISTRONG #NAKOASTRONG