DORAL, Fla. – Olga Laurenti said she was visiting Hawaii when paradise turned into hell. Local authorities rushed her to evacuate the historic town of Lahaina after 5 a.m., on Tuesday.
Laurenti was able to escape western Maui and get back home to South Florida, but the need for help after the wildfires was still haunting her on Monday.
“I close my eyes at night and all I see is the red flare,” she said. “I saw the red fire burn, felt the debris, the heat of the fire, and the explosion. I felt helpless.”
The death toll was at 96 when Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned that crews were still likely to find more people dead.
“Watching helicopters come in and get blown away ... they couldn’t go through the dark smoke ... the minute they would put one fire out, another fire would re-ignite,” Laurenti said.
About 1,300 people vanished, according to Green. Thousands were homeless.
“Everything was gray and ashes and dust, as we were driving by. There was still a burning building and the folks were outside watching their building, everything they’ve lived for, burn to pieces in the ground,” Laurenti said.
The Red Cross was looking for volunteers to deploy to Hawaii under various roles that range from sheltering to public affairs. They will need to be registered and have completed training.
Patrick Lynch, of the Doral-based Global Empowerment Mission, said the non-profit organization’s team is distributing cash cards to help the newly homeless who need shelter and hygiene products.
“The best way to help with that housing is by going online to donate,” Lynch said.
For more information about the mission and how to contribute, visit this page.
Update on open shelter locations for #MauiFire survivors ⏬ https://t.co/RpfZ9F8krU
— FEMA (@fema) August 14, 2023