Maui fire survivor from New York narrates daring escape from the ‘horrible disaster’

Queens native Pam Reader recalled the horrific experience of racing away from the flames which closed in on her home in Lahaina town on Tuesday.

The wildfires in the Maui county of Hawaii, have wreaked havoc in the lives of thousands of people. With every passing day, heart wrenching stories of doom and destruction are coming out. In an interaction with the New York Post, a person from New York has narrated the horrific experience of surviving the disaster.

A view of flames as wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, (via REUTERS)

Queens native Pam Reader recalled the horrific experience of racing away from the flames which closed in on her home in the Shark Pit neighborhood of Lahaina town on Tuesday. Pam, her husband, their two daughters, and their cat managed to survive the wildfires.

“It was surreal. It was terrifying,” said Pam.

Recalling the disaster, Pam highlighted that her family did not hear a siren warning them to evacuate. She shared how Hurricane Dora caused 80 to 100 mile-per-hour winds on Tuesday which brought flames to only “a block away, two blocks away.”

“We weren’t really concerned [going to bed on Monday night], because Hurricane Dora was 800 miles south,” explained Pam.

“A friend who is a lifeguard comes over on a bike. He was covered in soot and he just said It’s time to go. You have to get out of the house,’” she shared.

“It was pretty crazy, we were shaking in the car,” she added.

While driving in their car, the family reached south of Lahaina on Tuesday night. Next morning, the family drove to a friend’s home in Maalaea. Pam shared that she carried important items with her to face any issues during their escape from Lahaina.

“In hindsight, I’m laughing at myself, because I could probably charge about 800 phones – I brought about that many chargers,” revealed Pam.

“We brought our fire-safe envelope with all our important documents, which was good,” she added.

Pam also revealed that she later got to know from a friend that her home in Lahaina was completely destroyed in the wildfires. The friend also sent a photo of her completely burnt down home.

“That was the hardest part,” said Pam.