SPOKANE, Wash. — The devastating wildfires in Maui have shocked the entire country, and their impacts are reaching all corners of the nation, including Spokane.
A total of 67 people have died as a result of the fires and the majority of the historic town Lahaina is destroyed. Despite thousands of miles between the two areas, Spokane residents are feeling the loss brought on by this fire. Ralston Read, manager of Hang 10 Hawaiian Barbeque and former Hawaii resident, said the fire has impacted his relatives and friends in countless ways.
Read has lived in Spokane for 16 years but is originally from Oahu, the second largest island on Hawaii. He said despite being so far away, the fires hit close to home.
"Just being home, you miss it. I try to go back at least twice twice a year just to visit family and friends," he said. "I would go to Maui as a young man, popping over for the weekend to Lahaina."
At last check, 80% of the beautiful and historic town has disappeared.
"Usually you can rebuild if it's something when it's small," Read said. "But the whole town? It's just awful."
Read's restaurant isn't the only place you can get Hawaiian cuisine in Spokane. There’s another one not too far.
"We actually get some of our products straight from Hawaii," said William Keegan, the manager of Aloha Island Grill.
Keegan said he's only been to Hawaii once but knows how special it is.
"We have spiders and little bugs and stuff here. They get geckos, though, so it's all over the place.," he said. "There's just so much life there. And something like that is extremely devastating."
Read still has friends he keeps in touch with that live on Maui. Luckily for them, they don't live where the fire occurred. Even with the destruction, he's staying positive.
"Coming together as friends and family and enjoying a good meal is pretty much what, to me, the aloha spirit is," Read said.
Most people know Aloha as hello or goodbye, but it means so much more to Hawaiians. It's a way of life.
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