FEMA official John Mills on Hawaii wildfires: This is a complex disaster response and recovery
FEMA official John Mills provides an update on the search-and-rescue operation in Maui on 'Your World.'
FIRST ON FOX: On the island of Maui this week, staff and volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse — the international Christian disaster relief group headed up by Rev. Franklin Graham and headquartered in Boone, North Carolina — began sifting through the ashes on behalf of a family whose home was completely destroyed in last week’s catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii.
"The couple we served, Marina and Paul, lived in a town up-country called Kula," the group told Fox News Digital exclusively. (The couple's last name was omitted for privacy.)
"Three weeks ago, Marina’s stepfather was tragically killed by a reckless driver. She and her family have been through a lot of pain over the past month — and the fire has added to their turmoil," said a spokesperson for the organization.
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At least 110 people were killed in the August 8 wildfires on the island of Maui. That death toll is expected to rise.
The path of destruction spanned some 3.5 square miles, according to reports, as recovery efforts continue.
Two volunteers with Samaritan's Purse, the international Christian disaster relief organization, are shown this week in Maui, attempting to help victims recover precious personal items from the ash and rubble. (Samaritan's Purse )
Said Samaritan's Purse about the group's ongoing efforts to help those who are suffering, "The area where Paul and Marina’s home was located was subjected to a brush fire that destroyed approximately 20 homes, forced evacuations and wreaked havoc on the local community."
The group added that while their teams began working on site, "a small fire actually began in some of the woods located on the property. Samaritan’s Purse volunteers were able to extinguish the fire and continued watering potential hot spots on the land throughout [Thursday]."
Volunteers managed to find "crafts from Marina’s childhood, a portion of her grandmother’s coin purse, an array of pottery passed down within the family for years" and more.
After a full day of sifting through ashes and rubble, the team retrieved "several invaluable items" for the family whose house was reduced to ash.
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Volunteers managed to find "crafts from Marina’s childhood, a portion of her grandmother’s coin purse, an array of pottery passed down within the family for years, and even some exercise equipment that Paul was particularly excited about," the organization told Fox News Digital.
"This is heartbreaking," said a resident of Maui, whose home was reduced to ash and rubble after the wildfires last week. Shown here, a Samaritan's Purse volunteer sifts through ash to try to find scraps of a family's personal items. (Samaritan's Purse )
"I would say this is heartbreaking, honestly — heartbreaking and kind of chaotic," said Marina in comments shared with Fox News Digital.
She noted, "The community has come together and the way that so many people like Samaritan's Purse have come together to really help us … We've never experienced a natural disaster on this scale, ever. So it is really challenging for us for sure."
Of the devastation, she said, "We need all the prayers we can get at this point."
The couple shared gratitude for the help they've received during this "terrible" time.
She said it's the "whole community" that's been affected.
Despite having lost nearly everything, she said that she and her husband "feel really lucky … It's just a house. And that's where we need prayers and love and support for everyone going through this right now for sure."
The couple shared gratitude for the help they've received during a "terrible" time.
One resident of Maui said that while she's lost virtually everything, she and her husband "feel really lucky … It's just a house. And that's where we need prayers and love and support for everyone going through this right now." Shown above, Samaritan's Purse volunteers try to find a family's belongings. (Samaritan's Purse )
The Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief team also assisted in debris removal and in chopping down trees that were burned in the fires, the group said.
Additional crew members "facilitated an island-wide meeting for pastors to discuss the current needs on the ground" and also spent time in prayer, said Samaritan’s Purse.
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Said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, "With every day that passes, we realize more of the unimaginable pain and loss the people of Lahaina and Maui have suffered. We have Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers on the ground, as well as our BGEA rapid response chaplains ministering to spiritual needs."
Volunteers on the ground in Maui this week pray for the victims of the wildfires. There are still many hundreds of people missing. (Samaritan's Purse )
He also told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Our teams are equipped and standing by to help residents whose homes have burned to sift through the ashes for meaningful personal items that might have survived the flames. This means so much to families. We are working with local authorities and churches to determine whether Samaritan’s Purse can help those who are uninsured by rebuilding homes."
Samaritan's Purse shared key details about its efforts to help victims.
This past Tuesday, it airlifted 17 tons of emergency relief equipment, tools and volunteers to Hawaii, it said.
"An army of more than 2,000 volunteers from the U.S. mainland [are] on standby and prepared to deploy to Hawaii."
Its DC-8 cargo jet also "carried solar lights, cooking kits, hygiene kits and plastic tarp to provide immediate relief to wildfire survivors." The plane also carried other tools and equipment.
"Samaritan’s Purse has more than 25 volunteers and staff on the ground, prepositioning supplies in Maui and working to establish multiple bases of operations," the group shared.
Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground in Maui, Hawaii, to help victims of the wildfires and minister to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Said Rev. Edward Graham in a statement to Fox News Digital, "People here not only lost their businesses, their homes — but loved ones and friends." (Samaritan’s Purse)
It also has "an army of more than 2,000 volunteers from the U.S. mainland on standby and prepared to deploy to Hawaii."
Rev. Graham's son, Edward Graham, chief operating officer of Samaritan's Purse, has been on the ground in Lahaina.
"It’s complete destruction," he said in comments shared with Fox News Digital after he surveyed the damage there.
He said the group has been "sifting" through ash because "there’s not really anything to clean up or fix."
"We've come to serve you and just to be with you during this time."
He added, "There’s a complete loss of hope. No one knows really where to turn. People here not only lost their businesses, their homes — but loved ones and friends."
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He said church members "were already working and setting up and building sifting boxes even before we got here."
He also noted, "The churches are hungry. They’re ready to respond, and they’re ready to run into this fire and love their neighbor."
Staying strong in faith is critical during this time, said Rev. Edward Graham.
"For those who are hurting, wondering, 'Has God forsaken me?’ — my encouragement is no. He loves you so much that he sent his son Jesus. He has not forgotten you during this fire," he said in remarks shared with Fox News Digital.
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He added, "We all go through fires in life. All of us go through storms and challenges. For this community here, I want them to know that we love you, but more importantly, Jesus loves you. That's why Samaritan's Purse has come. We've come to serve you and just to be with you during this time."
The organization noted further that "15 crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are in Maui right now, with more arriving in the coming days. These chaplains have already prayed with hundreds of people. So many residents are suffering and are desperate for hope."
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are shown engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP)
Seeking to minister to those who need help in a myriad of ways, the group noted that "the chaplains are also assisting with death notifications."
Said the group as well, "One of these chaplains is from Hawaii, where his father is a pastor. Not only did his father’s home burn down — their church was also destroyed — but Sunday morning found him meeting with close to 100 people at a coffee shop for a service to worship and praise God."
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The fires on Maui this month reminded Native Hawaiian Micah Kamohoali’i of the state’s largest-ever wildfire, which burned through his family’s Big Island home in 2021, the Associated Press reported.
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That blaze "gave us an awareness of how dry things can be," Kamohoali’i said.
Fire is the No. 1 cause of Hawaii’s federally declared disasters, equaling the next three types of disaster combined: floods, severe storms and hurricanes, the AP also reported. Hawaii by far has more federally declared fire disasters per square mile than any other state, it said.
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