A cross adorned with leis is seen at a memorial for wildfire victims, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Cleanup and rebuilding efforts continue after the 2023 wildfire that killed over 102 people and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) LAHAINA, Hawaii — They have combed the ashes for mementos, worried about where they would sleep, questioned their faith and tried to find a way to grieve amid the great, unsettling devastation.
Residents have faced a year of challenges, practical and emotional, since the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century decimated the historic town of Lahaina, on Maui, on Aug.
8, 2023. To mark the anniversary, The Associated Press interviewed seven survivors its journalists first encountered in the days, weeks or months after the fire, as well as a first responder who helped fight the flames. Among their difficulties, they also have found hope, resilience and determination: the Vietnam veteran who has helped others deal with post-traumatic stress; the Buddhist minister with a new appreciation for the sunsets from Lahaina; the college-bound teen aspiring to become a Maui firefighter himself.
Here is a series of vignettes examining some of their experiences over the past year. Retired mailman and Vietnam veteran Thomas Leonard looks down at the area of the seawall he used to hide from the flames during the August 2023 wildfires, Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson).