A Metro Detroit family was grateful this week to escape Maui as deadly wildfires suddenly engulfed Hawaii’s second-largest island while they were on vacation.
Mindy and Greg Fernandes brought their two children from Oakland County to Maui for what was supposed to be a special vacation. But on Tuesday, Aug. 8, wildfires suddenly broke out, fueled by drought conditions and damaging winds from a hurricane roaring hundreds of miles from the state.
At least 55 people have been killed in the fires, and officials expect that death toll to climb even higher in the coming days. The wildfires were largely contained as of Friday, but they’ve already decimated some areas, including the historic town of Lahaina.
The Fernandes family tells Local 4 that the situation was chaotic.
On Monday night, the high winds started.
“The winds were bad. We went to a luau, and were just trying to keep our food on our table,” Mindy Fernandes said.
They had no idea what would come next: Brush fires consumed the entire island. Their resort, along with others on the island, lost power, and they had no cellphone service. Tourists in hotels were asked to shelter in place amid the fires so emergency vehicles could get to Lahaina.
“We went up on the balcony of our hotel and ... just looked down to where we see the fire on both sides,” Mindy Fernandes said. “It was a huge, huge fire.”
Tens of thousands of people reportedly crowded airports to leave the island this week. The Ferndandes family was among them -- but with no cellphone service and so much happening around them, getting to the airport was no sure thing on Thursday.
Relieved, the family was able to leave Maui on Thursday morning. As they were leaving, they saw what was left of Lahaina was just a smoldering ruin. You can see video footage captured by the family in the video player below.
“When they let us through that barricade, I almost cried, I was so relieved,” Mindy Fernandes said. “It’s been crazy. I’ve never been so happy to get off an island in my life.”
The wildfires were about 80% contained as of Friday morning, according to officials, but fires continue to burn in some areas. Almost all of the historic town of Lahaina, an economic hub for the western side of the island, has been charred.
The governor of Hawaii says the fires are likely the worst natural disaster the state has ever suffered.
The Fernandes family says as they were leaving the island, they were told to look out for bodies in the water. Without anywhere to go when the wildfires quickly blew through the town, many people ran into the water and possibly drowned. Officials expect the death toll to rise even higher.
Hear from the Oakland County family in the video report below.
Read more: At least 55 people died on Maui. Residents had little warning before wildfires overtook a town