This browser does not support the Video element.
Hawaii wildfires: Wauwatosa family vacation
A Wauwatosa family currently on a trip to Hawaii is witnessing the deadly wildfire devastation first hand.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A Wauwatosa family currently on a trip to Hawaii is witnessing the deadly wildfire devastation first hand.
Joy Meier and her family have been in Maui – staying 45 minutes from Lahaina, where the fires are happening – for the past five days.
"It’s horrifying, we are watching it all unfold," she said. "You can see the smoke, at night you can see the fire burning in the hills. It's scary, you smell in the air"
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
Meier said they were trying to get back to their hotel Tuesday night, but the roads were blocked off.
"We didn’t exactly know how bad the fires were or what was going on, and new fires kept popping up, so we were stuck in an area in the middle of the island," said Meier. "They told us the hotel is officially now closed, they are evacuating people out of it, but we haven't been back."
Wildfires in Hawaii
Unable to go back to their hotel, the family has instead gone to a shelter and slept in a car with little belongings. They are supposed to leave Maui on Saturday.
"We are grateful for the ability to stay a couple more nights, hopefully get our things, and that we are all together," Meier said.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
So far, Maui officials said at least 36 people have died and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed.
AAA Wisconsin said several airlines have announced their waiving change fees for travelers with scheduled flights to Maui. United Airlines, meanwhile, canceled all flights to Kahului Airport in Maui Thursday due to the wildfires. Instead, the planes will fly there empty and be used to bring passengers back to the mainland.
Ono Kine Grindz steps up
A Wauwatosa restaurant with deep Hawaiian ties is helping those affected.
"Those poor people," said Guy Roeseler, co-owner of Ono Kine Grindz. "I can’t even fathom – they have no home, no job, no city."
Roeseler said he's heartbroken to see Maui, a place close to where he called home for 12 years, burn. Ono Kine Grindz is donating 10% of its proceeds to the Red Cross.
Ono Kine Grindz, Wauwatosa
"It’s that loss of life that is really staggering, it's going to affect that area forever," he said. "Everybody is affected, and that's how we feel.
Back at home, Hawaiian natives said they are supporting their ohana – the Hawaiian word for family.
"In an isolated community like Hawaii is, family is everybody in the community. It's not just your blood sisters or brothers," said Roesler.
FOX6 News reached out the Red Cross. They said one volunteer from Wisconsin left this morning for Maui to help provide resources.