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LAHAINA, Hawaii — Makenna Kuykendall grew up in Utah before making a life for herself on Maui. Now she is among the many who are starting over after a wildfire destroyed much of the town of Lahaina two weeks ago.
"I never imagined it would be as catastrophic as it actually was," Kuykendall said, recounting the events of Aug. 8. "It was just chaotic."
Kuykendall says her neighborhood was initially evacuated by police in the early morning hours, but homeowners were eventually allowed back in once the fire was believed to have been contained. Around 2:30 p.m. that day, she noticed flames again. By then, she said, firefighters left to battle another fire on the other side of the island.
I don't think I've ever felt this much support in my life.
–Makenna Kuykendall, business owner
"In seconds it just got huge," Kuykendall said. "Flames just like shot all the way up and just started like ripping down the street."
She said it didn't take long before the flames got dangerously close.
"It was just starting to, like, surround our house. And we were like, 'We're not even going to make it out of here,'" Kuykendall said. "We got in the car and there was just, like, fire everywhere. Many homes on fire by the time we were driving down the street."
Kuykendall, her partner and their dog were faced with a growing traffic jam as they tried to leave. The thick smoke started to surround them.
"It's maybe 4 o'clock now and the whole sky is like, black. Like, it's so black. It's blacker than nighttime, you know, in the middle of the day," Kuykendall explained.
Kuykendall and some of her friends were eventually able to get out, but they quickly returned the next morning, concerned that another friend was still unaccounted for.
"There was flare-ups here and there," she said. "I learned that second day that my business had burned to the ground. My whole crystal shop and the piercing studio that I work out of. I didn't have any insurance or anything."
Kuykendall said, amazingly, their home was still standing but will not be livable for some time. She said there is, however, one positive that came from the harrowing experience and loss.
"I don't think I've ever felt this much support in my life," she said. "The community here is unlike any community I've ever been a part of. People that have absolutely nothing will give you anything that they have left."
She added that as the area was closed off by authorities and became difficult to reach, it was people in the community who found ways to make sure everyone received supplies as they came in.
"I have a couple friends that are boat captains and they brought us supplies by boat," Kuykendall explained. "They came up with their boats, and we made a daisy chain of people and people are just passing goods from the ocean onto the shore."
While people are getting their daily supplies and essential needs now, she believes the best way to get help to many families is to reach them directly.
Kuykendall's family has set up a GoFundMe* account for herself, her partner and her sister, who also lives on the island.
She points out there is also an Instagram page that is sharing fundraising links for the many families that are in similar situations.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
