Survivors seek ‘answers and accountability’ after deadly Maui fires
A lifetime Lahaina resident said that despite losing loved ones and watching the whole town go up in smoke, the community is "toughing it up and doing what we can to stand up and just fight another day."
“We’ve got more than enough clothing donations, but what we need right now are answers and accountability,” said one man who had to run from his home as wildfires tore through Maui.
Although he lives in Maui, Hawaii, Eric Zimmerman was far away from the deadly wildfires that devastated the island. But the wind carried the heat and smoke, and he had to leave.
“The smoke and ash were so crazy,” Zimmerman said. “You couldn’t take the heat and the smoke — you couldn’t breathe.”
Zimmerman and his wife took their dog and a single bag of belongings — all they could grab — and ran away from their house. Cars were stopped, blocking the street, so they had to make it on foot. Zimmerman and his wife were two of thousands in Maui displaced by the wildfires that have killed at least 111 people as of Wednesday morning and devastated the town of Lahaina.
Since the fires, community members and emergency responders have been on the ground providing care and resources for Maui residents, even after losing loved ones and their livelihoods. Rep. Elle Cochran, a lifetime resident of Lahaina and a Hawaii state House representative, said residents are fighting through that loss to make sure people are safe but pleaded for authorities to allow experts to come in and help.
This photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows burnt areas in Lahaina on the Maui island, Hawaii, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, following a wildfire. (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP)
“Like me, if you’ve lost loved ones or people you know and have seen your whole town gone in front of your eyes, it’s hard to take,” Cochran told storm chaser Brandon Clement while choking back tears. “But we’re toughing it up and doing what we can to stand up and just fight another day.”
Zimmerman said community aid efforts are helping. He said relief efforts have provided 6,000 meals, which volunteers delivered to first responders and people who can’t leave their homes, like elderly people. Zimmerman noted that volunteers have enough supplies, clothing and donations, but several survivors told Clement that what they really want is accountability.
Eric Zimmerman, a Maui resident, spoke about the questions residents are seeking answers to in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires. (Brandon Clement)
"We’ve got enough supplies, more than enough clothing donations, but what we need right now are answers and accountability. We don’t know what’s going on. We don’t have Internet, cell phone service — more questions than you could ever imagine,” Zimmerman said.
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Videos taken by residents show power lines being toppled by powerful winds as a potential cause of the fires, The Associated Press reported. Some residents have signed on to a class action lawsuit that alleges Hawaiian Electric should have shut off power in the days preceding the fire, according to CNN.
Both Zimmerman and Cochran said residents feel obligated to stay and help their friends and neighbors through a sense of community, but also out of necessity.
“This is our home; this is our community. We’re gonna stick together,” Zimmerman said. “Why would anyone leave when we need each other more than ever? We’re all here taking care of each other, and that’s the only people taking care of us.”
Additional reporting by storm chaser Brandon Clement.
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