North Strabane couple return home safely from Maui
A North Strabane Township couple vacationing in Maui when wildfires broke out on the island have returned home safely.
Dino and Julie LaSalvia were vacationing at a resort less than a mile outside of Lahaina when the devastating wildfires destroyed the historic town on Aug. 8, leaving at least 96 people dead.
“My heart breaks for the people of Lahaina and the island,” Dino LaSalvia said. “The town of Lahaina is gone. Everything is gone. It looked like an atomic bomb went off.”
It was the 40th time LaSalvia has visited Hawaii – he and Julie were married on Maui in 2007 – and what started as an idyllic trip took a turn as strong winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles south impacted the island.
LaSalvia had headed to the gym Tuesday morning and had just jumped on the treadmill when the power went out.
“The winds were starting to pick up, like 60 miles per hour,” said LaSalvia. “We knew there was a hurricane, we knew there were going to be winds, but there wasn’t going to be any rain.”
The pair decided to check out and head to a neighboring resort, the Marriott Maui Ocean Club, where they had booked a room for the final days of their trip, but the hotel also had lost power and the pool area was closed.
The couple went to sit by the beach when LaSalvia saw plumes of black smoke coming in the direction of Lahaina.
“I said to Julie, ‘There’s a fire down there.’ That was about 4 p.m.,” said LaSalvia. “I could see smoke really starting to come up and the winds were 70 or 80 miles per hour at that point. I looked at Lahaina and the town was on fire.”
He said family and friends were trying to get in touch with the couple to make sure they were safe, but they had limited cellphone service and no access to communication.
“People were texting us asking how we were doing, telling us people are jumping in water to escape the flames, but we didn’t know because there was a lack of communication,” said LaSalvia.
LaSalvia said some resort-goers, including he and Julie, choked on the thick smoke, and at one point the manager said guests would be evacuated onto the golf course because of fears that embers would start fires on the property.
For the next three days, the LaSalvias remained at the resort – largely engulfed in the unknown – while local residents who were displaced after the fires destroyed their homes poured into the hotel lobby.
“There was a young kid who had burned feet; these people fled with whatever they had on their backs,” recalled LaSalvia, a retired state trooper. “People were standing around crying. It was heartbreaking to see that. A lot of people were wearing the same T-shirts, so we think the resort gave them the shirts.”
Food was limited since the hotel lost power early on Aug. 8. That day, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs were available for $26 and $20, respectively, LaSalvia said, and they were served Ramen noodles at one meal.
The hotel issued tickets to guests for small breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and opened the gift shop briefly so people could purchase water, protein bars, and snacks.
On Aug. 10, the couple walked to Lahaina, where they encountered people lying on the beaches or milling around, and dogs walking aimlessly.
The LaSalvias turned around when they reached Front Street, Lahaina’s scenic seafront Main Street, which was blocked.
“There were wires down and fires still smoldering,” said LaSalvia.
The LaSalvias’ flight home was already booked for Aug. 11, so getting off the island was not a problem for them, unlike many other tourists trying to leave.
The couple had already booked a trip for March, and plan to return then – and to do what they can to help as the island rebuilds.
The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and FEMA estimated the fire in Lahaina damaged or destroyed at least 2,207 structures, and damages are estimated at roughly $5.5 billion.
“It’s such a special place,” LaSalvia said. “I am so connected to that island, connected to these people. Maui is such a part of me. I feel so sad for the people, the town, the shops. I have so many memories there – the Banyan tree, they always had art festivals under it, people always played music under there. I just pray that it survives,” said LaSalvia. “It’s going to take a long time for the town to rebuild.”