Survivors equate fire-ravaged Maui with a ‘war zone’ where they ‘lost everything’

Over 14,000 people have been evacuated from the fire-ravaged island of Maui in Hawaii. Here are a few eyewitness and survivor accounts of surviving the nightmarish Maui wildfires.

'There was nothing else...'

Kansas mother Tee Dang had to take refuge in the ocean with her husband and three children, aged five, 13, and 20, due to the wildfires. She told the BBC on Thursday, August 10, "We had to get to the ocean. There was nothing else because we were cornered in."

'The whole neighbourhood is gone'

Leaving most of their possessions behind, Bryce Baraoidan fled the blazing wildfire with his family, but when they returned they found, "Not just the whole street, but the whole neighbourhood is gone." Baraoidan told the BBC, "When we found out… my mother burst into tears."

'It was a close call'

Susanne Kemper's photographer brother Steve Kemper lost a gallery he managed on Front Street. She shared the story of her brother’s flight to his son living in the Maui town of Haiku. "It was a close call," Kemper told the BBC, adding, "He was absolutely exhausted when he got to my nephew's."

'Everything is gone'

Jordan Saribay who lost his and his grandmother’s home by walls of flame "as tall as the buildings,” mourned while speaking to USA Today. "Everything is gone, every single one of our family homes," and added, “The entire Lahaina Town and the entire subdivision of Lahaina – gone."

'You can't sleep during those times'

Heidi Denecke, the owner of the Maui Animal Farm, spent a sleepless night on Tuesday, August 8, before being evacuated the next day, on Wednesday. "It was very, very frightening. We all sat together and watched (the fire) because we were concerned about the animals," Denecke told USA Today. "You can't sleep during those times."

'You could see black smoke, the flames'

Beatrice Hoopai, along with her husband, disabled son and two infants, drove for hours trying to flee but the roads were closed. Noting that trees were catching fire, Hoopai said to USA Today, “You could see black smoke, the flames, everything was falling down,” and added, “If you looked back in the mirror, everything was burning.”

'By now it’s ashes, nothing left'

A 53-year-old taxi driver Alan Barrios said to USA Today, “It was like a war zone,” before adding, “There was explosions left and right.” Losing his pets, apartment and belongings, he said, “I lost everything. By now it’s ashes, nothing left.”

'I had just walked into a war zone'

Danesh, who was an eyewitness as he spent 14 hours driving people to evacuation shelters and treating them in his mobile clinic, said to NBC, "I had just walked into a war zone, the hot aftermath with steam and fire still cooking on the side. We're going down this road, and it was like 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith — like zombies, people just coming out covered in scud looking like they're about to collapse.”