August 8th, 2023 we lost our houses which were located in Lahaina, Maui during the West Maui Wildfires. We barely escaped with our lives. We were told the fire was 100% contained by 9:55am. So we didn't worry, we sat down enjoyed being off of our phones and just enjoyed each others company. We were told to stay inside our homes, because the wind was dangerous so we listened. While we were making food a giant gust of wind came by and we heard an extremely terrifying sound. I screamed and Joseph (my boyfriend) calmed me down. He looked out the window and saw a giant mango tree ripped from its roots that had landed right next to our roommates side of the house. We ran over there and made sure everything was fine with them. We talked for a bit about how we no longer think it's safe to stay inside. But outside was worse. We started hearing power-lines snapping and explosions all around us and the wind was overwhelming. We look up our street and houses are blowing up and the sky is black. At this point we run inside and tell everyone to grab whatever they can, get in the car and go. We needed to go rescue Joseph's 18-year old cat Puka. The road to Joseph's house was blocked off because of power lines and fallen trees, so he and my roommate had to run all the way there and back in the smoke and wind to grab the cat. Grace and I, (a friend trying to wait out the wind and power outage with us) were in the car waiting as ashes and power-lines are falling around us. Terrified and anxiously waiting, we finally see them running back with his cat. As we all gather in my car we drive away dodging burning trees and watching people run bare foot down the road and dogs running to safety. We had a sinking feeling deep down that if we make it out alive everything we had every memory we made there would be completely gone. All of our documents, our photos and jewelry of/from family members that are no longer with us. Everything that can't be replaced is completely gone and we won't know when it's safe to get back there to sifted through the ashes of our lives. Driving away from the burning remains of the town we have called our home for years, we shed a tear for everything we had loved and lost and just praying for the people and animals.
We are not people who like to ask for help but we don't know what to do. We want to stay on Maui because it has been my boyfriends home for over 24 years and mine for an amazing 3 years. Even though our home and town burned down we will be doing our part to help rebuild and clean up and support our amazing community here on Maui. This is our home we don't want to say goodbye to it until we can't be here anymore. Looking at the news and keeping up with everything is so hard at this point while we continue to try to help locate lost people and get supplies to the people still stuck on the west side, when at the same time we have nothing and are relying on the kindness of other people ourselves. It wasn't just our homes that burned. It was our jobs and our community. Our friends and family are now all dispersed all over. We now need to rebuild our town, rebuild our community, rebuild our jobs, and rebuild our own lives. Please help support me (Arielle), my boyfriend Joseph (Doc), and our 18 year old cat (Puka). Anything thing will help at this time mahalo for your kokua.
