Survivor’s Tale: Edralina Diezon’s Experience During the Lahaina Wildfires

A Harrowing Escape: The Lahaina Wildfire Experience

On the fateful day of August 8, 2023, as flames roared and threatened to engulf the Lahaina Gateway shopping center, Edralina Diezon found herself trapped in a storage room, surrounded by mops, buckets, and brooms. At the age of 69, Ms. Diezon, who worked tirelessly as a janitor, was gripped by fear and uncertainty. For two agonizing days and nights, she remained hidden away, too terrified to leave her makeshift refuge. When she finally emerged, disoriented and famished, she discovered that the neighborhood she had called home had been reduced to ashes.

Wandering through the charred remnants of her community, Ms. Diezon spent hours searching for signs of life before encountering a police officer who guided her to a hotel that had been transformed into a shelter for displaced residents. Eventually, she found herself at the beachfront Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, sharing the space with over 1,000 of the 8,000 survivors from Maui’s devastating wildfires.

One year later, the catastrophic wildfire remains etched in the memories of those who lived through it. It was the deadliest fire in the United States in over a century, leaving Lahaina a ghost town filled with ash and memories. Buses were still not operational in September, streetlights remained dark, and the few stores that managed to stay standing were boarded up. The Lahaina Gateway, once bustling with life, was now desolate. Despite the turmoil, Ms. Diezon continued to show up for her janitorial job each day, her heart heavy with uncertainty about her future living situation.

Every year, millions of Americans face displacement due to fires, hurricanes, and other weather-related disasters, often struggling to piece their lives back together, just as Ms. Diezon did. According to preliminary findings from a study conducted by the University of Hawaii, nearly half of Maui’s wildfire survivors reported losing their jobs. This study, which aims to track over 1,000 individuals over the next decade, surveyed 679 people and revealed that 13 percent of survivors were still without health insurance. Additionally, a staggering 40 percent of households were grappling with food insecurity.

For Ms. Diezon, the path to reclaiming her livelihood became a daily battle filled with challenges. She navigated a complex and often disorganized web of organizations providing aid, housing, and support. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United Way began to extend their services, while numerous celebrities pledged financial assistance to the fire victims. Locals even initiated Venmo donation funds to help families in need. However, Ms. Diezon faced her own hurdle: she did not have a Venmo account.