Teams from California head to Hawaii to aid in Maui fire relief
MAUI, Hawaii - California is one of several states that is sending first responders to Hawaii in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires.
The first of 13 Red Cross relief workers departed San Jose Mineta International Airport Thursday. They’re currently on the ground in Maui, and the next set is scheduled to leave Friday morning.
With her dog Emme by her side, Red Cross Central California Coast CEO Michele Averill is packed and ready to enter the breach. By midday Friday she’ll be in Maui, working as a government liaison, to get information and help to those who need it most.
"Being able to provide that up-to-date information our [workers] feel they’re geared with everything they need to be able to provide as much support as they can," she said.
Averill is one of 13 Red Cross volunteers to make the trip.
Additionally, Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed some of the state’s urban search-and-rescue specialists to the Hawaiian Islands. The 11 members, who’ll join a team of 30, come from Oakland, Riverside, and Sacramento. They’ll aid in recovery and search for wildfire survivors.
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"He’ll be determining what kind of infrastructure issues they’re having, over there, and ensuring they get the vital support that they need," said Oakland Fire Department Acting Assistant Chief Christopher Landry.
The liaison officer who’ll leave Friday has experience responding to fires, and hurricanes, and could be gone three weeks.
Averill has similar experience; responding to the Camp Fire in 2018 in Butte County. That blaze, which burned over 153,000 acres, killed at least 85 civilians, and five firefighters.
"It was life-changing. It taught me a lot. You really just dig in, and recognize the empathy and compassion and what is needed," said Averill.
While the specter of death is daunting, for Averill, this mission is also partly personal. She has a home in Maui, on Front Street – which is now smoke and ash. So, she’s leaving her dog, and flying to the islands, to help others, and look at what’s left of her own home, the day after celebrating her birthday.
"Oh, Lahaina is an incredibly special place to me. We’ve had a home there for 25 years," said Averill. "And to me, being able to go back and support this community and the history and the culture that I have come to love so dearly, it just means the world to me."