COLUMBUS, Ohio — The official death toll from the Maui wildfires has passed 100, and there are warnings it could rise further. Officials said it's now the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years.
Arianne Thomas' aunt and uncle, Brad and Cindy Willis, have lived in Lahaina, Hawaii since 2013.
"They had their condo there, and everything was burned, their car. And I think what's really sad about that is that it's a home and belongings, but it's also a place where you have memories," Thomas said. "My aunt is an amazing painter, and my uncle is a photographer, so they've lost some of those memories as well, which you can't recreate that with all the money in the world."
Thomas said right now they only have the clothes on their backs and their bravery to get through this tragedy.
"They're on a fixed income, and so that home was both like a place that they've lived and an asset, and I just know it's a long journey for them to get back to stability," she said. "It's been bizarre because, you know, we hear about bad things that happen in the world, tragedies like this, and then when it happens to somebody that you love, it just hits in a different way."
A GoFundMe to support Brad and Cindy has raised $14,125 so far.
