KIHEI, Hawaii — Maui officials are still working to find and identify the dead after historic wildfires destroyed thousands of homes.
It’s now the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than 100 years, killing at least 93 people.
More and more survivors are beginning to tell their stories, some from right here in Hampton Roads.
Virginia Beach native Lorinda Deliz-Kottke has lived in Maui since 2008. She lives in Kihei on the south side of the island, where she could see the large flames in Lahaina from across the water.
“People were jumping in the water to get away from the flames,” Deliz-Kottke said.
Deliz-Kottke had just returned to home Maui after visiting Virginia Beach when the wildfires broke out.
She said she tried to reach friends in Lahaina to no avail due to widespread power and cellular outages.
Then, late Tuesday night, she said got an alert to evacuate her home.
“My phone started going off, like, ‘Kihei’s evacuating,'" she said. "Like, oh, okay, I guess we’re not staying here tonight."
The mom of three said she quickly grabbed the kids and two cats and headed for a friend’s house.
Deliz-Kottke said she got the all-clear to return home Wednesday. But, she said she’s struggling with survivor’s guilt, as she knows many people that have lost their homes and businesses.
“It’s just every day I know someone else personally who's been affected by it. And I’m so lucky that I’m not and that my kids and my ex-husband are safe,” she said.
As fires continue to rage, the extent of the damage remains unclear. The Maui police chief estimated Thursday that more than 1,000 people are missing. He said crews have only covered 3% of the search area so far.
When it comes to rebuilding, Deliz-Kottke said it will be a marathon, not a sprint.
“The whole Maui community has come together to rally and show support…Fires are still going. We don’t even know when we can start to even think about rebuilding,” Deliz Kottke said.
But still, she said the Maui community is staying strong together, helping in any way they can.
Deliz-Kottke said her friend, Gabe, used his boat company, Trilogy Excursions, to help people escape the flames.
"He's a hero in my book. He's amazing. Before the Coast Guard even got there, they helped pull people onto his boat, helped people that were jumping out of their cars because the traffic was so bad," she said.
Deliz-Kottke shared a GoFundMe link for Trilogy Excursions' fire relief fund. You can find it by clicking here.
The Maui Food Bank is also providing meals to those affected by the wildfires. You can find out more by clicking here.
