PHOENIX — It could be weeks before it's known what the full extent of damage is from the Maui wildfires. As crews work tirelessly surveying the damage, people across the Valley are stepping in to help.
"It's gone," Lacretia Bacon said. "Everything is gone."
For Bacon, Maui is like a second home. She's been vacationing on the island for the past two weeks. She said nothing could've prepared her for what happened earlier in the week.
"Winds were just horrendous," she said. "Absolutely horrendous. Around 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, the fire from the upcountry crept down to the edge of Kihei where we are staying. The smoke, all of a sudden everything was filled with smoke."
Bacon said her family has created so many wonderful memories on the island. They love the historic downtown which was filled with local restaurants, shops and galleries. She said the devastation is just too much.
"The memories, it's all gone," she said. "It's just the trauma of people walking around, it's indescribable. I don't want to think about the flight home right now, it's going to be hard. I want to stay and help. These people lost everything. This is not going to be short term, it's going to take years."
"I'm anxious, sad, I have emotions all over the place," Laura King said.
Other Arizonans are pitching in to help as well. The American Red Cross Arizona Chapter had a few volunteers fly out first thing Saturday morning. They were headed to Honolulu where they planned to be for at least the month. King said they were planning to help with shelters, emotional support and other immediate needs.
"We know this is going to be a stressful assignment but we're anxious to get them help, and just do what we can to provide relief and support on the island," King said.
Chef Michael Cairns is also currently working on the island. He said they're opening up their doors to try and give people a bit of peace of mind.
"We turned our private Country Club into an evacuation center to the general public," he said. "We want people to come here, be in a safe gated area, and feel a little comfort. They can use our showers, our lockers."
He's also spreading hope with hot meals. He sometimes works with others to deliver them to areas only accessible by boat.
"Everyone of us is chipping in and doing what we got to do," he said.
Officials are still trying to understand the long-term impact of these fires so officials encourage you to donate to a well-known organization or one that has deep local ties to the towns involved.
You can find more information here.
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