David Johnson

As the result of an email that I received late on Friday night, Saturday saw me out at Lahaina Gateway, volunteering with the relief effort for those effected by the wild fires almost three weeks ago.

Volunteers met up in the town of Wailuku, on the north west side of the island, at 7:45am Saturday morning. A group of sixty two volunteers had shown up. About half had been over to Lahaina before, half had not. We were briefed on what to expect, how we should behave and then boarded the two buses that were waiting for us.

The drive over to Lahaina took about an hour. This drive can sometimes be longer, but the island is so quiet right now that there was nothing to slow us down. The road that runs along the south west side of the island is currently only open from 6:00am to 10:00pm. Further, access to the burn zone of the town is forbidden as the search for remains continues, and those roads are guarded by National Guard soldiers.

We approached Lahaina Gateway, a shopping mall which had escaped fire damage, via the bypass. This road circles a part of the town from above, before dropping down to Lahaina Gateway. Although still at quite a distance from the town, the fire damage was clear to see. The bus that I was on, although quiet because of the early hour, fell quieter. A wire fence to the side of the bypass had become a make shift memorial, yellow ribbons tied to it.

It was a hot day, very hot. Initially I found the scale of the operation to be overwhelming. In just seeing the amount donated, the number of people involved in distributing the goods (many more people were already there when we arrived from the north shore), and when we opened at 10:00am, the number of cars driving by to collect donations. Two further food stations provided cooked meals for those coming in for supplies as well as those volunteering. Even popsicles were available early afternoon! Carts went by the volunteer stations at regular intervals with cold water. Another went by with cold, wet face cloths to help volunteers cool off. It was a day of giving, the generosity coming from all sides. And this is something that has been going on in some shape or form since the fires struck. The whole process, run by volunteers for the most part, ran very smoothly.

There was little time for a break, there being a steady stream of cars feeding their way past the stations. However, at one point I stepped back and found myself thinking - a few weeks ago these people were living their lives, just like me. Now they were relying on the generosity of strangers for the necessities of life. It was all very humbling and sobering. I was pleased that I was there.

About an hour and a half before we were due to wrap up for the day, news came through of a bush fire about 5 miles up the road in Ka’anapali. The decision was made to wind down proceedings and get ready to evacuate. By the time that the site was cleared and the bus had arrived, news came through that the fire was contained. However, in light of what had happened three weeks ago, I believe that the caution was well placed.

It was not until I got home that I realized how tired I was, especially my legs. I had been standing for most of the day, and that heat was energy sapping. Much to reflect on. Much to be grateful for. Much to be humbled by.

Upcountry

Lahaina is very much in the news, and quite rightly so. But let us not forget that on that night of August 8th, fires had also been burning on the east side of the island. With water still not safe to use for washing as well as drinking, in Lahaina as well as Upcountry Maui, we had some friends come down on Saturday night to take showers and have dinner. They had had to evacuate on August 8th, but thankfully were able to return to their home. Listening to their stories of the Upcountry fire, my wife and I drove up there yesterday evening. Woodlands that we had driven by on many occasions were scorched. We saw some houses that had been burnt down. At least one road was closed for all except residents. And there again were the volunteers, handing out free dinners for the Upcountry community.

As Maui cycles through the year, I can feel as the island breathes its way through the ebb and flow of visitors. There are deep intakes of breath as the island fills up during the seasonal holidays, and then exhales as visitors leave and Maui quietens down during those in between times when kids are back at school.

Right now it feels as though the island has taken a huge exhale. So many people have left in the wake of the fires that ripped through communities here two weeks ago. The roads are quieter, towns are quieter. Around the airport sit fields of unwanted rental cars, bringing back memories of COVID when no one could visit Hawai’i. That is not the case now. Visitors can still come, the island is still open, just not as much of it as was the case a week and a half ago.

Usually an exhale means that Maui can rest a little bit. So much is asked of the ‘aina so that people can visit and enjoy themselves. I believe that Maui needs that rest.

I can feel the space when the crowds diminish. But this exhale, much larger than most, while it brings welcome psychological space for this quiet loving person, also holds awareness of the catastrophic fires from almost two weeks ago. Residents have lost homes, loved ones, businesses, history. A whole town has been destroyed, and let’s not forget the houses that have been lost Upcountry on the east side of the island. Fires are still in the process of being fully contained. While I am grateful to not have been effected by the fires directly, few here, if any have not been touched in some way by what has happened. It’s a community shock.

One morning recently I sat listening as a friend shared her mother’s experience. Her mother no longer has a home, it having been burnt to the ground. She has her life and her loved ones, but that place she called home and everything in it has gone. Another friend lost her house and for now has returned to family on the mainland. She plans on returning, but not yet. I find it all so hard to believe. And that sense of loss feels to me as though it pervades the island. At my men’s group last week we all spoke about how the fires have impacted us. This is a small island, a small community.

For me these images float as an omni presence throughout the day, regardless of what I am doing, regardless of where I am. Maui will continue to breathe. Breathing the grief that it holds, and breathing the future that will rise out of these ashes.

I am hearing of a lot of grass roots relief efforts that just came together following the wild fires that hit Maui just under two weeks ago. The wife, Jen, of a good friend of mine normally leads snorkeling tours. Just after the fires company used their boat to ferry supplies to those still in and to the north of Lahaina. NPR covered the story twice.

The first time contains pictures of their efforts.

A few days later they published the story again, this time just words, and no pictures.

Allowing people to tell their stories, enables them to release the pressure that they hold.

I returned home yesterday to rental cars parked up in the fields around the airport here on Maui. I hadn’t seen that since height of COVID. Then, with no visitors on the island, there was nowhere (apart from the fields around the airport) to park up the huge excess of unwanted rental cars.

This time, with so many visitors leaving in the wake of the devastating wild fires, there is again no room in the garages for the unwanted rental cars.

As the day ends here, I find myself still thinking over what has happened in Maui in the last 24 hours. Disbelief at the level of destruction, especially in Lahaina as it looks as though it has been raised to the ground, but also to those who have lost homes in Upcountry Maui. Sadness accompanying that disbelief with the realization that fellow islanders have lost all of their possessions.

I have picked up various stories from family and friends throughout the day. Fires continue to burn, though weakening winds have allowed helicopters to move in and drop water, assisting the fire fighters below (that was not possible yesterday due to the high winds).

This will be a long game. Buildings and towns need to be rebuilt, jobs and businesses put back together, communities rebuilt. The efforts are starting.

While this story has been forefront in my mind through today, I don’t think that the full reality will hit me until I am back on island this coming weekend.

As I spend some time with family in California, the news that is coming out of Maui of the terrible fires there is heartbreaking. It sounds as though Front Street, and the historic area of Lahaina, including around the Bayan tree has been devastated (though to what degree is unclear right now, depending on one’s news source), with winds from the Hurricane Dora fanning the flames and making fire fighting impossible.

In addition to Lahaina, there are fires in Kula and heading down to Kihei. We have heard from friends who have been evacuated. Here’s hoping for the that the winds die down, allowing the fire fighters to do their job.

Thankfully our part of the island has not been touched by the fires. Though I imagine that it will take a while for Maui to recover from this.