(WGGB/WSHM) -The island of Maui, in Hawaii, is still a disaster zone as a result of the wildfires that blazed through most of Lahaina last week. Residents are struggling to navigate a town they’ve known their whole lives and tourists looking at a popular destination covered in ash.
“The desperation that people have is extreme, you know…Literally, here in Maui, you had people that were running away from fire, who didn’t know how to swim, who jumped into the water as an absolutely last resort, absolute last resort,” said Bryan Stern.
Stern is the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization led by veterans called Project Dynamo. He, along with some of his teammates from the organization, spends his time in areas hit hard by war or natural disasters and, right now, Lahaina. They’re using helicopters and military expertise on land to get people and animals away from danger, which he said, reminded him of a war zone.