Lahaina wildfire survivor endures five moves in a year but sees progress
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - On the north end of Front Street in Lahaina, Charles Nahale visits his family’s property.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had just called to get permission to lay down gravel.
“It seems like it’s taken a long time to do this much, but slowly but surely the tortoise wins the race,” said Nahale.
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He says he’s seeing progress. His immediate neighborhood with concrete foundations looks completely different from when Lahaina was unrecognizable a day after the disaster.
Memories of that tragic event remain vivid.
“You could feel the heat, you could smell the smoke. It just came out of nowhere,” he said.
HNN was with Nahale days after the fire, six months after the blaze and approaching the Aug. 8 anniversary.
Since the fire, he has lived like a nomad.
“I got into something a little more long term. I’ve moved five times,” he said.
But there’s still much uncertainty and worry.
“Where are we going to go when this contract ends in February? We are all going to be on the streets again,” he said.
He hopes to move back home in a couple years with his inner strength still in tact.
“I try to stay with aloha and pono within because strength comes from love,” said Nahale.
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