Hawaii: Priest reports on aftermath of devastating Maui wildfires

Father Alapaki Kim - Screenshot

Father Alapaki Kim, recently retired after 25 years of service as pastor of St Rita Parish in Nanakuli on the island of Oahu, diocese of Honolulu, has sent ICN this first-hand report on the aftermath of the wildfires on Maui.

"I just read that Maria Lanakila church had some fire damage to the roof but no one knows the extent of the damage until they can inspect it. From the outer views, it looks like the church and the rectory survived the fire, but the grammar school burned. The priests were evacuated safely. At least outwardly, the church and the rectory seem to be the only structures in that part of Lahaina to survive the fire.

"The first hand accounts of people who escaped were horrific. Bodies lying in the street of people who died trying to escape on foot, bodies in burned out cars as fires caught up with people trying escape but were prevented because traffic, down power lines, fallen utility poles and tree limbs were blocking the escape routes. People tried to escape by jumping into the ocean. 17 were rescued by the Coast Guard and nearly 100 rescued by private vessels. Not all who jumped into the ocean survived, right now the Coast Guard is searching for those who jumped into the ocean but did not survive. Whole families were found huddled together in their burned down homes where they died.

"With only 3% of the area searched, the death toll is 93. There are so very many people in hospital with burns and smoke inhalation that the Maui hospitals are overwhelmed. The badly burned are being sent to Honolulu to the burn treatment centre at Straub Hospital. They are also flying others who are badly injured by air ambulance to other hospitals in Honolulu such as the Queen's Medical Centre.

"Unfortunately, the death toll is expected to rise dramatically.

"All of Hawai`i seems to be coming to the aid of Lahaina. Necessities like nappies, baby formula and food, water, tinned food, clothes, toiletries and more are being sent to Maui. Many airlines are flying goods at no cost. People are loading up private vessels and sailing over open ocean to deliver goods directly to the survivors of Lahaina who have nothing… no food, change of clothes, no running water or electricity, nothing for children. So far hundreds of millions of dollars have been donated in Hawai`i alone for relief. We are very small with only 1.4 million people, and everyone seems to have relatives everywhere, so when a tragedy like this happens, it our `ohana who is suffering and we must do what we can to help.

"The government is telling everyone who goes into the area that there are toxins in the air and in the water. It is so bad that what little water they have in faucets cannot be purified by boiling or chemicals, the water isn't even safe to use for bathing.

"Once leaving the area of the disaster, people have to wash their clothes and bathe to wash out the toxins that might cling to their bodies and clothes from the ash of Lahaina.

"Evacuation of tourists is moving smoothly. Two of our airlines, Hawaiian Air and Southwest have added extra flights and lowered their fares to $19.00. They have moved about 40,000 people off the island. United Airlines had cancelled all their flights to Maui so that they will not bring visitors to the island and their empty planes can be filled with evacuees to be taken back to the continental US.

"The US Federal government is doing everything it is able to aid Maui. People have nothing, no homes and no employment and are concerned as to how they will recover, so, the aid coming from the US, will be very welcomed.

"That is as much as I know as of now.

God bless Maui."

Catholic Charities in Hawaii have launched an emergency appeal. See: www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/maui-relief/

*Pope Francis has tweeted today: 'Let us #PrayTogether for the victims of the fires that have devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui.'