UPLAND, CALIFORNIA; MAUI, HAWAII: Residents of Hawaii's Maui and their loved ones have been detailing their harrowing experiences in the face of one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent US history.
For many Southern Californians with connections to Maui, social media was the initial source of information about the devastation brought on by the wind-driven wildfire, reported ABC 7.
According to reports, a woman named Candice Voelker discovered the tragedy and the disappearance of her uncle Armando Serrano online.
"My cousin Noelle sent me a message on Instagram that they couldn't find my uncle... He got trapped up there," Voelker stated. "So for 12 hours we didn't know if he was alive."
Who is Candice Voelker?
Candice Voelker, whose family resides in Hawaii, lost their homes in the recent fire in Muai. The house that her aunt Coreen and uncle Mando had been residing in since the 1980s was destroyed.
Additionally, her cousin Noelle (their daughter), her husband, and their two children also lost their home.
Destruction in Maui
According to Voelker, her uncle survived. He managed to snap a picture of the family house to show his wife how destroyed it was as a result of the fire.
The same fire that destroyed their neighborhood also consumed their daughter's home, which she shared with her two children and husband.
"It's complete ashes. Completely gone. Everything gone," Voelker said.
"And they weren't home at the time when it happened, so they didn't have notice to evacuate - to grab some stuff," she continued. "So they only have the clothes that was on them."
The two families are currently residing with a different relative whose house was spared from the fire.
Voelker is also working to support her family, who live across the ocean from her Upland house. She created a GoFundMe page, posted pictures of their destroyed homes, and asked for donations. They have so far raised nearly $14000.
"I set up a GoFundMe," Voelker stated. "I am trying to reach out to as many people as possible because they absolutely have nothing."
