Lahaina Fire: Imagine living somewhere for 13 years, bringing your kids there, and then watching it all burndown. Jes Claydon had this happen to him in Lahaina, Hawaii. She had a rental house there, but a terrible fire burned it down.
If you stand just outside the burned area, you can see the ruins of her house. She must be so sad about it. Only a few pots of sea glass used to be by the front door.
On Monday, people will be able to return to that area. Jes Claydon wants to find those jars and anything else that remains alive. Even if it’s a small piece, she wants to keep a bit of her home with her.
Think about how you’d feel if your house caught on fire. It feels like a piece of your heart has been taken away. People who used to live there can go back for the first time in almost seven weeks.
This fire was not like any of the others. It was the worst fire in the United States in over a hundred years. It happened on August 8 and killed many people and caused much damage.
In Lahaina, Jes Claydon’s house was made of cinderblocks and painted the same colour as the ground. She can still see it from a distance. There are still some parts of the walls and a little grass.
The fire destroyed different parts of the area. People in the first zone are getting ready to go home right now. It is called Zone 1C, and it is north of Lahaina. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they can come between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
But they are careful. They want to ensure people have enough time and space to feel and remember. Some people may only want to go for a few minutes, while others may want to stay for hours.
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When they go back , they will have everything they need. There will be water, shade, places to wash up, bathrooms, and doctors and counsellors if needed. Some groups are giving out masks and clothes because the ash from the fire could contain dangerous things like asbestos, lead, or arsenic.
People want to look through the ashes to see if they can find old things like jewellery or pictures, but they are told not to. Because they could get sick or hurt their friends if they breathed in dust.
Losing a home is sad, but returning can help you say goodbye and remember what it was like. Even in the ashes, it feels like a piece of your heart has been found again. And with time and help, Lahaina will come back to life.
Our Reader’s Queries
Is Lahaina recovering from the fire?
Lahaina’s core, the historical center of the town on Maui, Hawaii, which was devastated by a deadly wildfire claiming many lives, welcomed back locals and business owners with day passes on Monday.
Why did Lahaina catch fire?
On August 28, Maui County filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries. The lawsuit accuses the utility of not shutting down its equipment as a storm approached, resulting in downed power lines that caused fires.
How much of Maui has burned?
Fifteen authorities approximated that 3,200 acres were scorched. When combined, these estimates cover over 10 square miles, which is more than 1% of Maui’s total land area of 735 square miles.
Did Maui have a fire?
Concerns about Hawaiian Electric’s possible involvement in the Maui fires, which resulted in the loss of over 115 lives, led to a significant drop in the company’s stock. On August 14, their shares experienced the largest one-day decline in 19 years.