Minnesota couple describes devastation from wildfires after honeymooning in Maui
Wildfires continued to devastate the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday, as officials confirmed at least 36 deaths.
Tourists have begun fleeing the island as the flames race through the historic town of Lahaina, a tourist destination that is the biggest community on the island’s west side.
A Minnesota couple who was in Maui on their honeymoon returned to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Thursday morning. While they were OK, they explained the eerie sights they saw before leaving.
RELATED: At least 36 killed on Maui as fires burn through Hawaii and thousands race to escape
“It was a spooky feeling being in an airport with lots of people, just sitting there and seeing the smoke… It’s kind of a trapped feeling. We were happy to leave but also sad for the people who, that was their home,” Olivia Nicholson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
While she and her husband, Blake, said they had no trouble leaving because their flight was pre-booked, they noted that flights have started leaving Maui each hour to take tourists away.
“On the plane ride from Maui to Honolulu, I was sitting next to a family that had just spent time in Lahaina and the place where they were staying had been destroyed, and they had really seen the fires firsthand,” Olivia said.
The couple noted they’d seen and smelled the Canadian wildfire smoke that has drifted into Minnesota this summer and, like that, were able to smell the smoke for a time in Maui. However, to know it’s already the deadliest blaze in the U.S. in recent years and is destroying such a beautiful island, they said, is “heartbreaking.”
“It’s such a beautiful place, it was our first time there, and just to see the natural landscape destroyed, to see people’s homes destroyed, it’s very scary, very sad,” Olivia said.
The Nicholsons said it’s “a relief” to be home now, “but also, we’re happy we have our home so we’re thinking about people who don’t have theirs.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is continuing to follow the Maui wildfires and has compiled a list of resources for anyone interested in helping.