Maui wildfires, vacationing Wauwatosa family 'grateful' to be home

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A Wauwatosa family's relaxing Hawaiian vacation took a turn when the deadly wildfires moved through Maui.

FOX6 News spoke with the family Sunday, Aug. 13, and they said they're grateful to be home with their belongings and each other.

"It was a trip of two halves. We were there for 10 days," said Eric Meier. "The first five couldn't have been better. Then you have this pivot on Tuesday where everyone's life was upended."

Eric, his wife, Joy and their four sons reflected on their trip to Hawaii.

"We were maybe two to three miles north of Lahaina in an area called Kaanapali Beach," said Joy Meier.

While the family vacationed, wildfires fueled by high winds started to spread. They weren't alerted about the danger.

"We had no idea. We had to search. We thought it was a traffic accident, and that was what the problem was," Joy Meier said. "No idea there were fires."

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"We got stuck coming back from our hike. The road was closed, coming in the normal way," said Eric Meier.

Maui wildfires

The Meiers couldn't get back to their original hotel. They had to stay in a van at one point. Eric Meier eventually made it through the ash and rubble to get their belongings.

"I had 13 bags in my group, with backpacks and suitcases. So did the other dad," said Eric Meier. "We had to figure out how to get all the luggage back from a mile and half away from the drop-off point."

They said the devastation is hard to forget.

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It really hit on the drive in," Eric Meier said. "The bus driver who normally takes kids to school started to cry."

"We've been talking a lot about how we need to be really grateful for what we have," said Joy Meier.

For the Meier family, this was a family vacation they wouldn't soon forget.

Maui wildfires

"I'm really proud about how they reacted. We were talking a lot about what we can do now to help," said Joy Meier.