Comedian Survives Hawaii's Deadly Wildfire in Las Vegas - News Update
A comic entertainer visiting Maui had to hurry to Honolulu following a furious wildfire that engulfed a part of the devastated Hawaiian island.
Don Barnhart, a performer from Las Vegas, was on the island to give a show when the fatal blaze erupted and spread rapidly. The comedy presentation scheduled for Sunday at Da Playground Maui in Wailuku was unfortunately canceled.
Access to electricity, cell phones, and internet was halted by the fire for a few days, but eventually, Barnhart and his spouse managed to reach safety.
"It's only starting to hit us now, you know, 'oh my God'," he told Las Vegas' KLAS news. "We were two miles away from where the fire was."
At the affected zone, people jumped into a harbor to save themselves from the swift-spreading flames.
Facing Death
"We looked at each other and thought, 'okay,'" Barnhart added. "If this is our time, we've had a great life, and we'll die together."
Barnhart had earlier planned to establish a comedy club on Maui. Sadly, those plans are now void as the location was burned down by the wildfire.
Regularly, Barnhart performs at the Delirious Comedy Club in Las Vegas. He also has a scheduled appearance on Norwegian Cruise Line vessels later this year.
Understanding that the destructive fires are no laughing matter, he is now simply looking forward to the future after his close call with nature.
"Thankful for our lives and counting our blessings," he tweeted late in the week.
53 Die
On Friday morning, CNN reported that 53 individuals in Hawaii perished due to the wildfire. Lahaina was especially hard-hit, and Hawaii Governor Josh Green predicted that more fatalities would be revealed.
"We will continue to witness loss of life," Green said on Thursday. "Lahaina, with a few exceptions, has been burned down. It genuinely feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina."
More than 11,000 individuals were still without power on Maui as of Thursday evening. Many were forced to seek shelter or temporary accommodations.
The fire began on Tuesday, and dry conditions and powerful winds contributed to its spread. Since then, firefighters have stepped up efforts to tackle the blaze, which was 80% contained by early Friday.
The wildfire caught island residents off guard. The emergency siren system didn't activate, as per the Associated Press.
Red Cross Assists
Nevada residents and businesses are donating to charities to aid those affected by the Hawaiian wildfire. The states share a close bond, given that travel between the two is very frequent. On Friday, Barb Kramer, a disaster relief volunteer of the Northern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross, will depart for Hawaii, as per Reno TV station KRNV.
Kramer, who has participated in disaster relief for over ten years, will stay in Maui for a minimum of three weeks.
