Lahaina, Hawaii resident says he escaped Maui wildfires on ‘dumb luck’
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Sanford Hill, a 72-year-old resident of Lahaina, recounted the moments he left his senior living building as flames continued to enclose the entire Maui town. Hill also spoke about his survivor’s guilt, explaining that he’s not sure which of his neighbors survived, and lamented that the authorities could have better communicated evacuation plans.
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#Lahaina #Maui #Hawaii
Ran into him once on Oahu, and struck up a brief conversation. Still seems sharp as a tack. Good thing he's bringing to light the impossible situation for people who lost everything. Even if they do get help and money afterwards, it'll likely be nowhere near enough.
This is the ONLY MAN to say he got a text message in all the videos I've watched
Yes, but that was early in the morning, then after that notice, the police told everyone it was a 100% contained. And he never said he got a another notice to evacuate after the police said it was 100% contained.
I think it was from the property management company where he rents
The lack of actions by those in charge is criminal.
Remember, the authorities really do care about our health and safety. Remember how they encouraged us to wear masks and take the jab. Our governments are kind and caring. We can trust them.
@@dd41283 lol. As long as we do the opposite of what they say😉
All communication was down. If anything is criminal, it's the blobs of greed molesting that land, water, native plants. The golf courses to have a water is just more important. The actual criminals are laughing at your utter ignorance.
they didnt know what was going to happen
@@cameronk544 those in charge did
Wild how the fire melted glass and aluminum yet left many trees untouched
I was in a fire once. When you smell smoke, grab your children and go. The dog will follow you.
Mr. Hill, we are very happy that you survived this horrible tragedy!
As survivor's guilt is a reality, be secure to live your life in the memory of the others we've loss. As that is the best thing we can do in honoring their lives, be the best we can be.
Life happens when we lease expect it . . . in good as well as bad.
Please celebrate your life, for there is a reason why we are all here. You will find your path forward from this sadness.
MUCH LOVE!
Maui-DEW Massacre
Exactly … I’m worried about the local community also .
Bless his heart..many prayers for the family..praying for the families affected..
I hope a fund is set up so we can donate to local people so they can keep and rebuilt their properties. We can collectively support people so a massive land grab does not become a reality. I truly believe that we are more informed then ever about these situations and have the power to protect the vulnerable.
The "Hawaii Real Estate" youtube has a lot of direct links to people being interviewed as well as a general fund. Working to help people keep their land, mortgages must still be paid and so on. Seems the best cahnnel for information overall. Ohana!
Why would the exits be blocked? I thought the benevolent authorities cared about our health and safety.
They tried to convince people to get vaccinated with donuts and burgers. They don't give a hoot about our health...
Respect Sir
I am hoping Leo Kelton in Lahaina is safe.
Leo, I live in West Sacramento CA . I know you do too. I am just hoping you have escaped the fire .You have businesses in Lahaina I hope you can again bring it back.. Only God knows where you are.
There was a lack of warning...but if Lahaina is like Kailua-Kona, then there were also very bad conditions that are allowed to persist; somehow inspections and codes don't fix them.
Malama Maui and Hawai'i after these fires.
I hope you’re doing well now….would love an update. Glad you made it out alive! ❤
So glad you made it out
Trying for years to get assistance to organize a REAL emergency response for a senior and disabled complex ...joke. Fires frequent and snow in, no power,no cell service yearly. Find out...we are on our own !
Heartbreaking stories, so many! Yes, many things are irreplaceable!
They told them the fire was contained in all the police left
SO ODD THEY COULDNT PUT THE SIRENS BUT THEY HAD POLICE LEAVE IN TIME
Imagine, 100% contained with winds 70+ … leave it smoldering… then block all escape routes.
It would help in these interviews if he said the area where he lived, sound like with elderly. Where did go for appointment, in town? Where did he “go down by the water? How exactly did get out…he never says.
He said he went to Wialuku, but not where he lived.
He said he went down to the water on Front street, where he saw the woman walking. He said his house was gone, so he lived in the burn zone. Why do you want to know more than that? Wanting to know what appt he had that caused him to leave the area is weird.
@@jaelynrae6045 I wanted to know which way he drove, because then the streets were fine at that moment… so where? makes a difference what
ALL of this points to unprecedented police corruption. Every Hawaii resident should be calling for this Las Vegas mafia police chief's head on a platter.
Definitely a lack of official response
Qui tirera des leçons de cette tragédie. Prière pour vous tous ! ❤
Watch Eric West Maui Realestate he knows the truth.
How ironic, a US island subject to the effects of rising temperatures caused largely by the pollution from USA itself.
I think the invasive grass on nearby land owned by Blackrock played a large role in this. He is basically saying he knew it was a tinder box situation.
@@jordan_8329 and if so, that grass dried out from drought caused by unusual high global temperatures caused by greenhouse gasses which are produced mostly by China, USA and Europe
@@George.ColemanI agree the developed world produces way too much pollution, but climate alarmists act as though conditions on Earth are in no way affected by any changes in solar activity or the fact that the magnetic field is shifting much more than normal in the last several years. We are overdue for a reversal of the magnetic poles and you can bet that will have a significant impact on climate around the globe.
🙏🙏🙏
We in Lahaina Luna never received any kind of Alert
It's not dumb luck it is God. We need to thank God everyday. He is our maker, Our healer, the God who protects. Thank God
What is your GoFundMe page
Dumb luck or intuition?
Real journalists will look hard into what caused this fire.
His shirt Says Yolo
I don't believe this man from Adam. I know everyone else does but believe me people BELIEVE ME, he's a sell out. That'd probably why he feels guilty.
Thanks guys, very thoughtful, but I have never been afraid of heights, so that was awkward, surprised you though huh 😉
So you don't puke playing totk
No such thing as luck!!! That was Gods grace!!! Accept Jesus now aa your savior who died for your sins!!!! That’s what he’s trying to show you through this!!!
please keep religion out of this.
That’s not RElIGION is the one true GOD Jesus Christ. Humble yourself before the one who created you. He woke you up, he gives you breath in your lungs and feeds you. This is how you think of Jesus? What a shame . I truly pray he softens your heart to believe upon him, to enter eternal life that he gives ALL who will believe. He isn’t even expecting much at all from you and you still reject him.
@@michellel9764no bad luck either by your explanation, is this God's disgrace? no one deserves what happened here..
@@pambp5978 Wicked men did this.
@@4karma860 Wicked evil men did this.
Mayor Bissen..."I dunno"
❤🙏
Adam Weintraub director of emergency management agency Hawaii did not activate the Sirens.... because the strong winds and smoke were unforseeable
Respectfully, I am not trying to dispute you, although build upon your comment.
Sad to say, I used to assist the Hawaii Guard in its efforts towards adverse weather conditions. Enough government entities knew about the drought conditions for years, hurricane passing to our south, high winds created by two high pressure systems to north of the islands and extreme fire threat.
All of this was an addition to the recipe for the disaster that occurred.
Too many people were just too complacent to take aggressive action to evacuate the residence, until they were sure that the winds and fire threat would reduce enough to not be any further threat to the area.
I appreciated one thing that Gov. Green mentioned, as the sirens are part of the tsunami threat warning system. Would people know enough about it to know that it could be used for other impending threats to the community? He admitted that there is an immediate need for a better warning and much more comprehensive system.
Even tho that siren is in fact for all kinds of emergencies… can you imagine, people would be alerted by it, look outside see the fire and walk right into it without some authority figure explaining not walk into the fire. It's better just let residents especially older ones not be alerted to evacuate; stay inside, sleep, rest, burn to death. (Can you imagine, Gov Green actually thought people - with the ability to think for themselves -would believe that explanation). For shame! @@EvilTheOne
@@cwired9407 Trust me, I do not dispute what you've written, the sirens should've been activated 100%. And for years, I don't know why a more comprehensive system wasn't employed by everyone.
I'm in my 60's, and lived in a time when there was a bullhorn mounted to the top of vehicles blaring out things to the public. Street by street they would spread the word. Low tech to high tech, all of whatever works should be used to get the evacuation word out.
Use social media, cellphones, cable TV, loudspeakers, etc . . . if the alert went out early enough, more lives could've been saved. They could've evacuated everyone, then let them go back when it was really cleared. As they do on the mainland U.S. when there is a hurricane. Even if the people were moved a couple of miles out of Lahaina, they probably could've been saved.
For this and many communities:
decades long drought conditions +
extreme high winds +
above ground power lines +
woefully inefficient warning system +
one lane for traffic +
insufficient water supply for fire fighting +
no aerial fire fighting support due to the high winds +
high dry brush not being maintained +
not heeding the weather advisory reports (two converging high pressure systems to the north and a hurricane to the south)
= DISASTER
@@cwired9407
They are actually calling their citizens idiots who would have run towards fire and smoke, had they heard an alarm go off.
@@totallydomestic433 In the meantime they direct their cars into the fire and smoke… THERE IS EVIL IN THIS WORLD.
We are alive too: only thank G-d
NBC...????
Perseids
Memento mori.
HAWAII WILL FIND $$$$$$ OFF SHORE, says.prophet Amanda Grace. and truth will prevail.
Who do we blame ? Who can we blame ? There has got to be someone to blame for this disaster..... Someone must pay....?
Mother nature.
There was no time for a warning. 70mph wind is too fast.
But there's no one to blame. Maybe blame whoever brought and planted the non native foliage that contributed greatly to this disaster.
Or the people for not having sprinkler systems.
Oh wait, all the ppl who made those decisions have been in the ground for a generation.
There's no one to blame.
It's the hardest truth to swallow. Don't get me wrong. But you can't point blame at the surfboard maker when the surfer drowns. We don't change weapons manufacturers for the lives their weapons have taken. Even though they've tried. It has never been successful.
The towers that transmit that warning system were some of the first areas, on the hill, to burn.
There's no century automatic alarms. No sirens.
There was no way to warn anyone. They still can barely get signal to the island let alone as it was all actively burning.
There's just no one to blame. There's only grief, clean up and rebuilding. Then remembrance.
Because we humans are here for a good time, not a long time. ❤
@@aftersexhighfives Thank you, that was the point of my comment. The blame game has now taken center stage in the media. Such a shame.....
Government
@@urankjj government
Evil men. Democrats
So sad and sorry about Hawaii. Just remember to not forget struggle of Ukraine! 🇺🇦👋☺️
I believe we ,the USA ,have done more than enough for Ukraine. Joe has to continue to keep Ukraine happy so no one turns on him and his shenanigans with Hunter.
@@brega6286 We don’t care about petty internal politic, you give our money and you are our female dog! 🇺🇦🤭👌
Nobody is worried about Ukraine.
@@totallydomestic433 Then nobody care about you! 🇺🇦
@@totallydomestic433 He is basically telling us that what has been going on in Ukraine, WAR, Is basically what is going on in Hawaii (though it may appear to be a natural disaster on the surface) which is somewhatthe case. There's far worse than we could ever imagine that's actually taking place behind the scenes. It's the beginning of an invasion from whoever probably China and Russia?! Idk.