Lahaina One Year Later
As Lahaina residents processed in a candlelight ceremony Memorial Day weekend, the Barrio Fiesta emcee read the names and ages of the 101 fire victims who perished almost a year ago, along with the two who were still missing and unaccounted for. (See accompanying box for the names; the County has announced one more death and her name is added to the list.)
It was a reminder for the participants—drawn from Maria Lanakila Filipino Catholic Club and the Lahaina High School Filipino Club—that almost a year later, life will never be the same. Local residents lost families, homes, businesses, personal belongings—their way of life. Since that day, many were uprooted from their beloved Lahaina—many relocated to other parts of the island. While Maria Lanakila Church prominently survived intact amidst the burned-out neighborhood around it, parishioners have not resumed worship services on site. Other churches and temples, however, burned to the ground on August 8th and depending on their location and other challenges, may not be able to rebuild or reopen.
For many Filipinos, faith has been at the core of their life since the August 8 Maui fires.
Jeanette Tacdol Yanguas, together with her husband Michael John Sol Yanguas, owned Maui Asian Distribution located at 910 Honoapiilani Highway, Unit 14 (close to the Subway). “That night I cried, accepted and surrendered everything to God,” recalls Yanguas. “I know that God has a better plan for us. With the help of my family, we managed to set up our new store before Christmas.”
Yanguas, who lives in Waikapu, recounts leaving home at about 8:00 am on that Tuesday. When she arrived at their store, there was no electricity. There was a strong wind–almost like a hurricane. Traffic was bumper to bumper with tree branches falling. She was not yet aware of a fire.
At around 1 p.m., Yanguas decided to take a nap at her store. At around 3:12 p.m., she was awakened by a call through Facebook messenger from her sister in the Philippines. After the fifteen-minute call, Yanguas saw smoke outside. Traffic was sparse but she saw a pole had fallen on the road outside. She had no cell phone service so Yanguas tried calling 911. There was no answer.
She asked for help from two Spectrum employees who were nearby. They told Yanguas to follow them but she could not immediately do so because part of a roof had fallen in front of her car. She saw the Spectrum employees drive through Front Street but Yanguas decided not to follow them. “I kept praying, please guide me, Lord,” Yanguas says. “It’s like a miracle,” that I was able to drive home safely.
Yanguas had been a licensed sales producer for Allstate Insurance for thirteen years. She and her husband opened their business in April 2023. “I quit my job in April and four months later the fire happened.”
“I needed to relocate as soon as possible,” she says. Through hard work and faith in God, four months after the fire, their business reopened at 790 Eha Street, Unit 5 in Wailuku (near the old Sack and Save).
“I’m happy about our new location. It’s larger (1600 square feet versus seven hundred square feet) so we can bring more products in to serve our community. Plus there’s a lot of parking and it’s closer to where we live in Waikapu,” she explains.
Like other owners who lost their business due to the Lahaina fire, insurance was a factor. Yanguas was fortunate to have full coverage. “As an insurance agent, I knew the benefits of being fully insured so we were fortunate we didn’t have any problem with that.”
The lack of or sufficiency of insurance is a problem faced by not only business owners but by homeowners as well. During the Binhi at Ani Tulong for Lahaina® distributions, recipients were asked to complete a survey. While many Lahaina fire survivors were reticent in sharing details, less than five percent of respondents had no insurance on their property or business, with some noting they were underinsured. Almost thirty percent of homeowners, however, lacked mortgage insurance, and even if they received deferrals from their banks, that liability remained on the books.
While the County of Maui reports a number of residential permits have been approved (less than fifty), it is unknown when actual home reconstruction will begin. The Jose Cabanilla family, like other Lahaina residents, decided to purchase a house in Central Maui while waiting, to allow them a little more stability while the rebuilding process lingered. (Of those who responded to the Tulong for Lahaina® survey, less than five homeowners planned not to rebuild.)
Others are hopeful the permit process will be expedited, even as they deal with re-construction standards required by the current building codes and ordinances. “They cleared our lot and we’re waiting to get the permit,” says Chamille Misay-Serrano. “They’re increasing the setbacks so the architect has to redo the plans.”
As the first anniversary of the fires approach—and fire and hurricane season returning—little is known whether the fire lawsuits are proceeding apace. Maui Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill is again handling the hundreds of cases that have been filed so far (after defendants tried to move all the lawsuits to federal court in Honolulu). Cahill has scheduled for November jury trials some early Lahaina lawsuits—filed in the weeks following the fire—and lawyers are actively preparing for those trials. The Olinda and Kula fire trials, initially set for September, are now postponed. The Maui County corporation counsel recently asked the Maui County Council for authority to enter into negotiations for a possible global resolution of the litigation and there are rumors in the community settlements are being discussed. The Governor’s One Ohana Fund has reportedly drawn the families of approximately half of the wrongful death victims but no funds have been distributed.
The federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency, tasked with investigating the origins of the August 8 fire submitted its report to the County, which has not yet released it to the public. The Maui Police Department and the Maui Fire Department have issued “after action reports” providing some information and listing things needing improvement for the next mass emergency event. The Attorney General’s investigation, through the Fire Safety Research Institute, is ongoing with just a timeline provided so far.
Meanwhile, survivors continue to try moving forward.
KusinaNiJayBoy, another Lahaina business destroyed by the fire, has relocated to Central Maui. Owner Jayboy Crisologo Barbosa posted on social media his food truck would now be at Maika`i Market at 73 S. Puunene Avenue in Kahului (the former Kahului American Savings Bank branch).
“As saddened as we are that we couldn’t open back up in Lahaina, we appreciate the new opportunities,” Barbosa posted. KusinaNiJayBoy’s menu includes local favorites such as hamburger steak, loco moco and crispy pork belly as well as favorites for those with Pinoy tastebuds: bbq pork ears, longganisa, grilled bangus and bbq pork isaw.
Changing from a brick-and-mortar restaurant to a food truck is the Navarro family who owned R.V.N. Deli Kitchen And Catering, located at 840 Wainee Street #C-2 (across the street from Foodland, Nagasako and other businesses). In the September 2023 issue of The Fil-Am Voice, Rogelio Navarro recounted losing everything in the fire.
Last month, the Navarro’s daughter, Rose Ann, posted on social media. “Aloha family and friends. It’s been over 10 long months since we were faced with an immense loss. Our cherished Lahaina Town got burned down and alongside it, our 22 years of family business, RVN Deli Kitchen. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We are so excited and blessed to announce that the RVN Food Express will be opening soon! No words can describe how happy we are to continue our family legacy. My papa and mama, Roger and Vangie are eager to go back to what they love doing and to serve our community. We are now located in the Kihei NAPA Auto Parts parking lot. We can’t wait to see all the familiar faces and meet new people. Please follow our Instagram page, @rvnfoodexpress for updates. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support from each and every one of you!!”
The menu of the food truck, located at 185 Hale Kuai Street in Kihei, will include favorites such as shrimp tempura, chicken katsu, loco moco, and pork adobo and specials such as chicken cutlet, hamburger steak, and pork and peas.
But one Filipino business is fighting the urge to relocate. Chamille Misay-Serrano, one of the co-owners of Misay Mart, previously located at 1068 Limahana Place and which only opened the year before the Lahaina fire, says the business is on hold for now. “We’re still looking for a place but there’s nothing in Lahaina,” she explains.
The Sunrise Café, however, decided to close permanently after the fire. The restaurant was owned by Ernesto and Tina Buduan and located at 693 Front Street. It was well-known for its excellent value for the ono food served during breakfast and lunch.
Misay-Serrano, a long-time First Hawaiian Bank employee, understands how the Filipino community is such a huge part of the culture and fabric of Lahaina. Misay Mart’s business plans focuses on serving the Lahaina Filipino community. “We need a Filipino store in Lahaina,” she emphasizes.
In the long run, when Lahaina is rebuilt, it must take into account a very significant portion of the burned town was home to Filipinos. Kaibigan ng Lahaina was formed after the Lahaina fire and is led by Nestor Ugale, Jr., Debralyn Andres Arellano, Eric Arquero, Tiffany Azcueta Somera, Cindy Duque Lulu and Sieny Corpuz. Kaibigan ng Lahaina, which recently received its 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the IRS, is working towards resiliency and stability for Filipinos in Lahaina. It has been locating resources the community has identified as needs and allocating those resources in ways that benefit most of the West Maui Filipino community.
“Our most immediate approach is to provide disaster case management services aimed to provide Filipino cultural/language centered assistance to the Lahaina Filipino community,” explains Ugale. “Beyond that, Kaibigan ng Lahaina aims to extend our reach through services and programs that target mental health and wellness needs, as well as providing workforce and professional development training. We are advocating for socioeconomic mobility for Filipinos and immigrants by proactively creating paths towards these goals through our focused programming.”
One year after the fire, questions and challenges remain but the hope is Filipino families in Lahaina will be able to remain and maintain their roots within the West Maui community.
Assistant Editor Alfredo G. Evangelista is a graduate of Maui High School (1976), the University of Southern California (1980), and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law (1983). He is a sole practitioner at Law Offices of Alfredo Evangelista, A Limited Liability Law Company, concentrating in estate planning, business start-up and consultation and nonprofit corporations. He has been practicing law for 40 years (since 1983) and returned home in 2010 to be with his family and to marry his high school sweetheart, the former Basilia Tumacder Idica.