Officials with the City and County of Honolulu confirmed that a 94-year-old woman hospitalized for smoke inhalation on Sunday has passed away.
At 1:24 a.m. on July 7, the Honolulu Fire Department declared the Māʻili wildfire fully contained.
The fire began at around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 6. At its peak, up to 31 units, including two helicopters and federal firefighters, were deployed.
An evacuation order was issued at 3:28 p.m. for residents mauka of Kulaaupuni Road.
Kailly Ahuna said her family home had already burned down by the time they received the alert.
The Ahuna family had lived there for 30 years. Kailly said it took just five minutes from when they spotted the fire to the moment they realized they had to flee.
She captured video of the fire near their home at 2:42 p.m., and another video at 2:49 p.m. showing her and her husband escaping as flames crept along their fence.
“The wind was whipping; we thought the fire would just go down [makai], I never thought that would be the last time I took stuff out of my house,” Kailly told KHON2. She said the fire came from the west. Her neighbor’s home was also lost.
She managed to save two dogs with help from a police officer who cut open one of the kennels. Sadly, one dog is still missing, and another was found dead on their property Monday morning.
They had tried to alert firefighters of the danger, but help didn’t arrive in time.
“This is our house, it’s flattened, but it’s okay,” she said. “Everything was in storage containers and if it was in there it melted. Yeah it’s okay, we’re all alive that’s all we can ask for.”
The family ran a successful party rental business and lost all their equipment, from tents to amusement rides. Kailly said other local companies have reached out and offered support.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help them recover their home, business, and income.
“All that stuff is materialistic, we’re just thankful to be alive and thankful we have each other,” she added. She noted that they’ve received generous donations and have found temporary housing. Anyone willing to help is welcome to contribute.
KHON2 also spoke with Stanley Rabellizsa, who lives one street over near the Hawaiʻi SPCA of Māʻili. He had been watering down his property to stop flare-ups.
He said he saw people setting off fireworks behind his house.
“It caught fire and they started panicking and it just spread fast,” he said. Another person on the property helped them escape before evacuation.
Stanley tried to fight the fire with a hose, but it moved too quickly. He lost his new construction equipment, though his home was spared. He expressed frustration over the incident.
HFD reported that 55 acres were scorched. Investigators and drone teams continue to survey the scene.
On Sunday, many residents jumped in to help others despite the thick smoke.
“Yesterday was an eye-opener for all of us,” said Chantell Moniz, who runs Hina’s Legacy Rescue and lives in West Oʻahu.
She rushed to the SPCA to help evacuate dogs, but the fire came fast. Darkness from the smoke made it nearly impossible to see. The SPCA released all the animals and spent the next day recovering them.
Chantell stressed the importance of having a wildfire evacuation plan, especially during fire season. She hopes to acquire a large van in the future to help evacuate animals or people quickly if another fire occurs.
At 11 a.m. on July 7, the emergency shelter at Waiʻanae Intermediate School closed.
Officials confirmed that two homes were damaged in the fire.