Hawaii needs donations, prayer, says area woman who has extended family on Maui

DAYTON — An area woman who has extended family on Maui is praying for extended family still on the island that is being seemingly consumed by wildfires that have destroyed much of the city of Lahaina.

>> RELATED: Hawaii wildfires -- 53 dead in fires fueled by hurricane, winds officials say

“My heart is so heavy and it just feels like it’s sobbing, like my heart is just sobbing inside because of all the loss,” Heidi Arrington told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis on Thursday night.

She and her husband own and operate Aloha Tacos and More, a food trailer serving the Dayton area and south central Ohio.

They left Hawaii and relocated to southwest Ohio in 2019.

“It’s so surreal to even, it just doesn’t even look like it could possibly be real,” she said.

Hawaii’s governor has said the wildfires are causing the larges disaster in his state’s history. More than 50 people have died in the Maui fires being fueled by Hurricane Dora, and the governor has warned everyone that more lives will be lost.

Arrington said her extended family has lost their homes, which have been burned to the ground.

The fires that are destroying Lahaina, in western Maui, mean the loss of history, she said.

“Just lots and lots of history. Very, very historic,” she said. “There’s a sugarcane train that that runs along the coast and, you know, just so many other things that that have been absolutely decimated there.

Arrington said what is needed in Hawaii are donations as well as prayers.

“They’re looking for, obviously, everything right -- water, clothing, blankets, baby items, you know, they need formula bottles, diapers, clothing, toiletries. It’s a tragedy that you just can’t even imagine.”

Arrington suggested donations to the American Red Cross and the Hawai’i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, “created to provide community resilience with resources for disaster preparedness, response and recovery. The fund is currently being used to support communities affected by the wildfires on Maui,” according to the foundation’s website.

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