Braintree family on vacation in Maui as deadly wildfires rage
BOSTON - Chris and Mary Ricci's dream vacation to Hawaii was going just as planned. "We went to Oahu for a week and left for Maui on August 4," said Chris.
The Braintree family had done it all: snorkeling, ziplining and playing in the ocean after island hopping last Friday. On Wednesday, it all changed as the windswept wildfires bore down on the coastal town of Lahaina.
The Ricci's were on another part of the island and couldn't get back to their resort because of the fire.
"We were east of the fires - not realizing the extent of what was happening - just trying to get a way back to our hotel," said Chris.
Read: How to help those affected by Maui wildfires
They were stuck in traffic for three to four hours, not knowing what was going on. In a moment, they realized the scope of the disaster.
"We could see the fires in the distance, the glow of the fires. We didn't know where they were spreading. It was hard to get real time updates," Chris recalls.
They were stuck in a rental Jeep, wondering what to do. Finally, the Ricci's found out about an evacuation site at a local high school. They went there and have been there ever since. It's been a tough go but at the same time, they're counting their blessings.
"We're the fortunate ones who hopefully will be home tomorrow at some point, but there's a lot of people here whose houses have been lost, they're still looking for loved ones," Chris noted.
The Ricci's are being supported by the American Red Cross and locals who have been comforting people at the evacuation site. They hope to fly home Friday, but flights have been backed up and postponed leaving the island.