Albuquerque-raised woman caught in Hawaii wildfires with sons
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Stephen Costick has a special place in his heart for Maui. His sister, Tina, moved there eighteen years ago and has been living the tropical lifestyle with her two sons.
Costick says his family, most of who still live in the metro, visit often. They went as recently as May for his nephew’s high school graduation.
“That’s our vacation place a lot,” Costick said. “It’s an excuse we have a place to stay and it’s an amazing place.”
His sister lives in Lahaina, walking distance from the well-known Front Street. But that must-see area turned to smoke and fire this past week.
“Our hearts are broken,” said Costick. “The horrifying scenes they were feeling and being a part of — I can’t imagine having to go through that.”
A family with ties to New Mexico found themselves at the forefront of the devastating wildfires in Hawaii.
His sister and nephews had to jump into the ocean and stay there for hours to escape some of the most intense flames, smoke, and explosions earlier this week. They made it back to their neighborhood to check on the damage days later.
“It’s complete devastation, their neighborhood is completely wiped out,” said Costick. “I want to run out there and hug them and save them. But we’re just very relieved that they’re okay. Their possessions, heirlooms are gone, but we can’t replace them. So we’re very blessed that they’re okay.”
Costick’s nephew started a GoFundMe page to help them recover and rebuild when the time comes. You can donate here.