A monstrous wildfire has stormed through Maui, claiming the lives of no fewer than 80 individuals on the island's western coast. This disaster has caused hundreds of removed inhabitants to seek refuge in a north-central Maui gymnasium. In an effort to reconnect separated families, members of the community started a campaign at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku. It consists of a bulletin board plastered with Post-It notes holding contact details and names of the displaced. Assistance and supplies are being delivered to the gym, thanks to the Red Cross, Maui County, and various other organizations and societies.
A majority of the gym's inhabitants hailed from the historic Lahaina, wearing nothing but the clothes they managed to flee in. Many are still frantically searching for their loved ones. Kathleen Dukes, 46, a Lahaina lifer, was stunned by her community's transformation due to the consuming flames. She expressed her gratitude for the unwavering strength and unity of Maui in the face of this crisis, even though she and many others lost homes and can't return yet due to the ongoing destruction.
Those seeking refuge in the gym sleep on mats laid out on the floor. Amongst them is Lynn Robison, 66, who described the post-fire scene as a warzone. She, too, was overcome with worry thinking about her children on the mainland who were unaware of her whereabouts due to downed cell services.
Shakina Newport, a 59-year-old nursing student on vacation from Santa Cruz, California, found herself stepping into a helper's role outside the gym, offering massages to ease the tension in the community. On the other hand, Nelen Cesar, 58, who lost all her cherished family photographs and childhood memoirs in the fire, is still hopeful about her home's survival despite her daughter delivering evidences of its complete obliteration.
