Aloha, I'm just going to take some time here to comment on the Maui fires, in particular in Lahaina. It's been a heavy couple of weeks and it has taken me awhile to take everything in. I've stayed off the internet and social media talking about this because it hits close to home.

David's Lahaina Connection

For those of you that don't know, I was born here on Oahu, but grew up in Maui for elementary school. I lived in Lahaina Town. I went to Sacred Hearts there in the town for elementary school and both Sacred Hearts and Kamehameha III (the  two elementary schools in the town) are completely burnt to the ground. Our old home in Puamana Nui, where we used to ride bikes to school is completely leveled. That whole neighborhood is decimated. I've got countless, countless friends and family whose lives have been ruined by this fire... many without their homes and unfortunately some that have lost their lives.

In any event, you see everything that's happening on the news right now. Everyone is pointing fingers at each other. Whether it be the electric company, not releasing water. Having been a firefighter myself, I couldn't even imagine not being able to fight the fire, by having a lack of water. Everyone is talking about the civil defense people not doing the sirens... It's just awful. 

Commercial Properties Destroyed

The town is not going to be the same. From a real estate perspective, a lot of that commercial real estate will most likely not be able to be rebuilt. I've heard some of it is uninsurable. It was not insurable prior to the fire. A lot of those trophy properties along the water like Kimo's and Lahaina Yacht Club. I highly doubt the state will let them rebuild with the new shoreline setback regulations. It's never going to be the same town. There's just so much history there. It's sad between the life, property and history that's no longer there...

Residential Real Estate Gone

Most of the residential single family home products, I've mentioned Puamana Nui is gone, most of Lahaina town and Wahikuli. As far as condominiums go, There's some that made it. Lahaina Shores along Front Street is still standing. However the retail property - 505 Front Street next door is completely gone. You've also got another concrete building along the water - Lahaina Roads is still standing from what I can see. I'm not boots on the ground. You've got some of the newer construction products that Standford Carr did recently with Kahoma Village. It looks like some of those made it through. 

A lot of these condominiums, I couldn't even imagine. Being in real estate here, I could never in a million years picture an entire complex being decimated. People did have fear after that building collapse in Miami that happened a few years back. That's never happened here as far as a structural failure. Some of this stuff that happened (in Lahaina) was catastrophic and no one could have ever predicted.

Growing up in Lahaina, my first reaction to this was that we had fires ALL THE TIME, but they were controlled burn fires when they were burning the sugar cane fields. You'd see ashes in the sky and we had them all the time. If you recall back into the 1980's and into the 90's, you'd fly in over Lahaina and Kaanapali you'd have beautiful green AG land up in the hills and what's been happening since the AG is gone, it's just all this brush that's grown in.

It's just really sad as when I've been talking with people, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Like, if you wanted to have a disaster on every level, unfortunately Lahaina has experienced it. With a heavy heart, I feel like I've had my hands tied from Oahu. There's a lot of change that's happening. I know some people that are migrating to Oahu from Maui. Some within my own family are talking about it now. Fortunately, my family members are safe, but it's been a heavy time.

How to Give 

For those of you that can't make it there physically, because I'm not recommending people jumping on airplanes and adding chaos to the mix. However, some very reputable sites we've are donating through the Hawaii Community Foundation, the Maui Food Bank, the Red Cross, etc. Because, like we've. seen in the news it's taking the federal government forever to step in. Any kokua you can do that direction will be awesome!

Prayers and Hope

Mahalo to listening to my 2 cents on this and we continue to pray to God. Like I said early on, unfortunately Sacred Hearts School was demolished. The silver lining in all of this is that God does answer prayers and there are blessings in that Maria Lanakila Church is still standing there right in the heart of Lahaina Town. I've seen the photos and the videos and there's green grass all around it on top of that! It is a miracle.  The church is saved. 

Keep Maui in your prayers. There's over 2,000 students that are no longer enrolled in school due to the loss of both of these elementary schools in the town. There were 18 firefighters whose homes are completely gone and countless people lost their homes and businesses. So, please keep Lahaina in your thoughts and in your prayers and we're all going to work together to get through this. Mahalo!