Joy Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings sits in her New Castle home wondering if any of her loved ones on the now-ravaged Hawaiian island of Maui may be dead.
“I don’t know about my loved ones, still, and it’s been since the fire started,” she said.
While her immediate family fled to Las Vegas, her mother’s side of the family stayed behind in the historic town of Lahaina.
Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings, who lived on the island from ages 5 to 35, leaving in the year 2000, is one of many people with ties to the island watching the carnage unfold on television and in news reports, fearing the unthinkable, hoping for a miracle.
As she reflects on her 30 years on the island, landmarks and familiar streets permeate every childhood memory, as she realizes they will never be what they were.
Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings remembers diving for coins tourist would throw into the now-destroyed Maui harbor.
Her elementary school Kamehameha III, which sat next to the harbor, burned to the ground, too. She wonders if the classmates she grew up with made it out alive.
Maui wildfire details
The National Weather Service reported high wind gusts across Hawaii, and portions of Maui County, on Aug. 7 that were expected to continue through Aug. 9.
On Aug. 8, a brush fire was reported in the central part of Maui, later becoming the Upcounty Maui wildfire, and continued to spread, fueled further by the drought impacting Maui.
Another brush fire in the historic town of Lahaina in West Maui was reported hours later.
By Aug. 9, West Maui was without power and had no landline or cellphone service, residents were evacuating the fires consuming their homes and search and rescue efforts already were underway amid the ongoing blazes.
The fire in the Puʻukoliʻi and Kaanapali region was extinguished, impacting one acre.
Meanwhile, firefighting crews fought to extinguish flare-ups in the Lahaina and Upcounty fires, both of which had destroyed dozens of structures combined.
Some fires were 100% contained on Aug. 11. The Pulehu/Kihei fire wasn’t 100% contained until Aug. 13. The Lahaina fire was 85% contained as of the evening of Aug. 14, reports show.
Aftermath of the Maui wildfires
The Maui wildfire is deemed the worst wildfire in the state and the deadliest fire in U.S. history in more than a century, according to NPR.
In Lahaina, the Pacific Disaster Center estimates nearly 3,000 structures were exposed to the fire and 2,170 acres were burned. Eighty-six percent of burned buildings were classified as residential, the center reported.
In Kula, the center reported 96% of the 544 burned structures were homes.
As of Monday, officials reported at least 99 fatalities in Maui, with that number expected to rise in the coming days as search and rescue crews, along with cadaver dogs, continue to work through the rubble and search for human remains.
On Tuesday, authorities announced they began releasing the names of those who perished in the fires.
Government officials continue to investigate possible causes of the fire as displaced residents struggle to find housing and resources, CNN reported.
Flight prices have dropped tremendously to aid those leaving the area, with some priced as low as $19.
Mahalo nui loa (Maui is the best)
Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings’ parents met in college on the mainland and later decided to raise their family in a “welcoming environment,” settling on Maui.
“People don’t understand how the culture could be so welcoming, but that’s what we do in Hawaii, on all the islands,” she said. “We have a peaceful way of communicating. We all give from our heart.”
She spent her days playing baseball on the dirt roads of Lahaina with the other neighborhood kids, the same roads she knows like the back of her hand from miles and miles of bike rides.
She recalls running through the irrigations system on the sugar plantation, with a 100-foot-by-50-foot waterbed played on by youngsters.
“There’s a lot of history there, like everybody is saying, with the Hawaiian island and the culture. We’re in the neighborhood where you could go to any house and they know you, they feed you,” said Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings.
She knows the Lahaina familiar to her will be just a memory now. She hopes she can hold onto it.
“All I could think of was ‘I wish I could hear from everybody that I love,’ ” said Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings, getting emotional. “In the background right now to settle my soul, I’m playing “Maui Waltz.” The song [Loyal Gardner] sings reminds me of all the good times that we had.
“I don’t want anyone to forget Lahaina, Maui or the local people on the island.”
How you can support victims of the Maui wildfires
Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings urges all who can to kokua (help in Hawaiian) the people of Maui by donating to the Maui Food Bank and the Maui Red Cross branch.
If you are touched by the story of Akiyama-Kunitake-Billings and her ohana (family in Hawaiian), you can drop off donations of clothing and hygiene and household items to her at 149 Somers Ave. in New Castle.
More ways to contribute include:
- Hoʻōla Maui Fund: Contributions to this fund will support Maui youth impacted by the disasters so they can continue to benefit from a strong educational support system. Donations can be made here.
- Kako‘o Maui Match Donation Fund: Last week the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement helped start the fund and quickly reached its $1.5 million goal. Donations are still being accepted and the council said 100% of proceeds will go toward relief efforts. Information on how to donate can be found here.
- The Hawaii Community Foundation has launched the “Maui Strong” fundraising effort to quickly address evolving needs, including shelter, food and financial help for those impacted by the disaster. HCF says 100 percent of the funds donated will be distributed for community needs in collaboration with government leaders, nonprofits and community members. It reported as of Aug. 11, $17,091,490 has been raised.
- Donation’s also may be made to the Maui United Way fire relief fund. The organization says All donations will provide direct relief to families and nonprofits directly affected by the Maui Fire Disaster.
- The Lahui Foundation also is collecting monetary donations to be given directly to fire recovery efforts impacted residents.
- The Maui Humane Society is asking people to assist with aid to pets affected by the disaster. The group is asking people to foster pets in need, give pet supplies and to provide donations.
- TheAmerican Red Cross reportedly has 220 disaster workers on the ground, with more on the way. Others are working virtually to help those affected by the fires. About 1,300 local residents have begun Red Cross volunteer training since the fires began, the agency reported. Those interested in volunteering can visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.
- For organizations and individuals who want to offer services or donations to aid in the county rescue and relief efforts, the Red Cross said information can be provided here to help organize and deploy resources.
- To make a financial contribution to Red Cross relief efforts in Maui visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word HAWAII to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
- The Red Cross also operates a Disaster Distress Helpline for free 24/7 support by calling 1-800-985-5990.
- The crowdsourced online fundraising platform GoFundMe has verified about 600 fundraising efforts from around the nation to provide help for Maui fire victims, many of whom have lost their homes and possessions.
USA Today contributed to this report.
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