LAHAINA (AP): 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 US wildfire in a century decimated the historic town of Lahaina, on Maui, on August 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. COPING AND STAYING Even as he hid behind a seawall from the flames, Thomas Leonard knew Lahaina’s wildfire was going to give him flashbacks to his service as a US Marine in Vietnam 55 years ago.
The exploding cars and propane tanks sounded just like mortars. “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom – one car after another,” he said. The nightmares started a few months later.
His Veterans Administration (VA) doctor prescribed new sleeping medication. “Thank God for the VA,” he said. The 75-year-old retired mailman learnt.