Thousands of Minnesotans vacation on the Hawaiian Islands every year, but after the Maui fires last summer, many people changed plans.

State officials told tourists to stay away in the immediate aftermath of the fires but now they’re asking for tourists to return, even with thousands still living in hotels.

As 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS looks back at the devastating fires, two Hawaiians — one of them a Minnesota native — recalled the start of the destruction.

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