91-year-old wildfire survivor lost everything to the flames but gained a friend ‘for life’

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Joseph Brunel knows dangerous winds from his days as a boat captain. But on Aug. 8, the 91-year-old says, the Lahaina firestorm was ferocious.

“The wind was blowing so hard that smoke was parallel with the ground,” said Brunel.

“I’m standing in the middle of the living room. All of a sudden, I feel a horrible heat,” he added.

Too old to run, he walked outside.

Brunel says the fire near his home at Hale Mahaolu Eono, a low-income senior housing complex, was just three doors away.

“When I saw the smoke ... I say it’s time to get the hell out of there,” said Brunel.

“Nobody came knocking on my door, I didn’t hear any bells ringing or any alarms going off, nothing,” he added.

He saw empty cars in the parking lot and then a tree. It was his only protection during terrifying moments. “The wind was blowing over 80 miles an hour,” said Brunel.

He grabbed the tree and says he was determined to cling to his life.

“If I hadn’t been been holding on to the tree, it would blow me across the street and blow me God knows where to,” said Brunel.

Jaime Fernandez, 68, evacuated his own home just below Hale Mahaolu Eono.

“Before the fire came, it was blowing our roofs off,” said Fernandez.

“It was chaos,” he added.

He says he saw about half a dozen people during his escape and told them to jump into his truck, but they appeared immobilized by shock and they kept walking.

Special Section: Maui Wildfires Disaster

Fernandez says he could barely see as he drove mauka (moutainside) on Lahainaluna Road, but turned around because firefighters were battling the inferno.

He says he saw about half a dozen people along the way and told them to jump into his truck, but they appeared to be in shock and kept walking.

Fernandez turned right onto Kelawea Street, where he spotted Brunel.

“He was barely standing there. I had to help him,” said Fernandez.

“He says to me very quickly, ‘Do you need help?’ Before I could answer him he says to me jump in,” said Brunel.

“I yelled at him to get in my truck,” Fernandez said.

“He walked over, got in my truck and I took him out.”

Fernandez drove Brunel to King’s Cathedral Church in Kahului. Both later reunited with family.

The men lost their homes in the worst wildfire in modern U.S. history, but gained an unbreakable bond.

“His name is Jaime Fernandez. He is going to be my friend for the rest of my life,” said Brunel.

“Even at my age, I want to live a little bit longer,” he added.

“I was just thankful that the Lord allowed me to save somebody,” said Fernandez.

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