American tourists review their escape experiences from the Maui Island fire in Hawaii: like passing by the origin of a nuclear explosion | Maui Island | Hawaii Maui Island
Before the Maui Island fire in Hawaii, the area had always been the preferred destination for many Americans to travel and vacation. The Kadenas couple from Sacramento, California bring their children to Maui Island every year, but their vacation there was interrupted by a fire this year and they had to flee Maui Island. After returning home, they told ABC reporters about their escape experiences.
The Kadenas family stayed at a hotel only 4.8 kilometers away from the heavily affected town of La Haina. On the morning of August 8th, strong winds blew up on the island, and according to local residents, some power poles were blown off.
Anna Kadenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: My husband woke up at 7am on the 8th and went to La Haina to see if it was normal. When he returned 25 minutes later, he said that there was a complete power outage there and I wanted to refuel the car, but the gas stations were closed. At that time, the car we rented only had 1/4 tank of gas left.
Angel Kadenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: At first, we thought it was just a power outage, but when we saw the other side of the beach, La Haina was shrouded in smoke under strong winds, and we felt that things were not going well.
On the afternoon of the 8th, although there was no signal on the phone, many tourists were unaware of the imminent danger due to the absence of an alarm on Maui Island and the absence of a mandatory evacuation order. However, the Kadenas couple had already experienced several California wildfires and found that the situation was not right. They began preparing various emergency supplies.
Anna Kadenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: In California, we have seen this situation too many times - people are trapped, too many people are trying to leave at the same time, causing traffic congestion and cars not moving. These images have been engraved in my mind, and we must leave early. So we pack all our luggage and put it in the rented car, so that we can leave quickly when needed. We have prepared water, food, and a small knife.
At 3am on August 9th, the fire broke out and they immediately began packing their bags and going to the emergency shelter for the night. Due to the rapid development of the fire, they had to switch from one shelter to another, and finally, with the help of friends, they bought tickets back to California.
Angel Kadenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: We rushed to the airport and when we passed through La Haina, it felt surreal. It was like the origin of a nuclear explosion, where you could smell the smell of thick smoke and hear people crying. I hope my family can delete these contents from their memory.
Andrew Cardenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: It's very scary. You can see smoke coming out from behind you.
Angel Kadenas, a tourist fleeing Maui Island: In the end, we finally boarded the plane home and breathed a little sigh of relief. But at the same time, you feel guilty because there are others struggling to survive there.
