The Hawaii Wildfires: One Year Later

 

Edwin Heilscher has a hard time talking about the day the fires forced his family outof their home. He remembers quickly grabbing his things and making it to the highway, only to see his town begin to burn as he drove away.

After days of searching for a place to stay, he brought his family to an American Red Cross shelter. There, he found not only a safe place to sleep and a warm meal, but also the compassion he needed to begin to heal.

Edwin is one of the more than 32,750 people who received disaster relief from the Red Cross after the devastation of the Hawaii wildfires — one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. 

And today, as we mark one year since this tragic disaster, we want to share how Red Crossers have helped — and are still helping — the people of Maui to recover.

In the heat of August 2023, the island of Maui was ravaged by one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. Over the course of eight days, the small historic town of Lahaina suffered the worst of the destruction. In all, 101 people were killed, some 2,200 structures were destroyed and thousands lost their homes.

The Red Cross Responds

Immediately, the Red Cross mobilized to Maui. Dedicated volunteers rushed to open shelters for those who had been displaced, offering respite from the devastation and a safe place to sleep. 

We provided:

• More than 2.2 million overnight shelter and hotel stays with our partners
• More than 3 million meals and snacks served with our partners

“[The Red Cross staffers are] compassionate, generous, [they] don’t ignore anybody. Everybody is an equal.” — Edwin Heilscher, Lahaina resident

The Road to Recovery

After the fires dissipated, thousands were left without homes, livelihoods and communities. Many had no idea how they’d get back on their feet or even pay for their next meal.

That’s why the Red Cross offered cash assistance to help families make their own choices and begin to rebuild their lives. As of July 8, we provided a total of $25.1 million to help cover necessities like groceries, clothing and shelter. 

“With everything going on in the world, to receive all these blessings is incredible.” — Linda Santella, Lahaina resident 

Maui Today

In all, the Red Cross reached an estimated 32,000 people with disaster relief and recovery services. Our ongoing aid was especially critical for the more than 6,000 residents who couldn’t return home and were cared for by Red Cross volunteers and employees in dozens of local hotels as part of our non-congregate shelter (NCS) program.

The Red Cross is committed to seeing people through their darkest moments in the days, weeks and months after, because the impact of a disaster lasts a lifetime.

“This is going to be a long recovery. They are resilient people, and they'll rebuild. It is going to take time.” — Raybo Frank, Red Cross volunteer

You Can Make a Difference

Every day, the Red Cross works around the clock to be there for those facing the most challenging moments of their life. We’re there whenever disaster strikes, no matter the time, the place or size of the disaster.

But we don’t do this work alone. Everything we do is powered by compassionate, generous people like you who believe in our mission to help those in need.

As we respond to more frequent and intense disasters than ever, we’re counting on your support to continue being there, wherever we’re needed. So, please: Will you give today to help us respond to disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and home fires?

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/?cid=fy25bluesky&med=email&source=adobefr&campdesc=08052024&scode=RSC24080E001&subcode=nhqfy25hawaiienggen