Caught up in Maui wildfire, Long Island couple haunted by the devastation 

A Long Island couple vacationing on Maui said they escaped one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than a century but continue to be haunted by the devastation they left behind.

Fires tore through the historic town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, leaving  at least 114 people dead. The search for more victims continues and many people remain missing. More than 2,000 structures were damaged or destroyed.

“These people still need help …. There were some people living out of their cars,” said Scott Puric, 24, of Rocky Point, who recounted seeing food trucks unable to keep up with long lines of locals.

“We are traumatized in the way that it feels surreal to be back on the Island compared to where we were across the world,” Puric said.

Less than 24 hours after landing at the Sands of Kahana Resort in Lahaina, Puric and Jenna Gardner of Miller Place, also 24, found themselves within 200 feet of a fast-moving blaze on Front Street, Puric said.

They were able to flee after ditching their rental car and trekking about six miles to their hotel, Puric recounted on Saturday after returning home. Puric hopes talking about their experience will keep the focus on the victims in Maui who face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.

Stuck on Lahaina street

Puric said that as he and Gardner were driving to a luau, he first noticed light gray smoke from what he believes were nearby wildfires as police managed traffic. They were directed onto busy Front Street, near shopping stores, where they sat in gridlock for nearly an hour, Puric said.

Then without any warning, Puric said, the skies suddenly turned black and 8- to 10-foot-tall flames erupted between two buildings.

No emergency warning or sirens were activated, a decision residents later criticized. 

“There were no sirens, it was basically complete silence,” Puric said.

He added that he thought about children alone who may not have received any emergency notification and potentially remained in harm’s way.

“We heard that there was a lot of kids that were left at home when their parents were at work, and they just had no idea what to do, because there was no cell service, no nothing.”

Left their car and ran

“The only thing you could hear was like the crackle of the fire and people running,” Puric said. He noted that, without any guidance, many people remained in their cars.

A manager from a nearby shopping outlet told them a downed power line had ignited and set a store and a car ablaze. (The cause of the fire remains under investigation.) She called a security officer who advised them to leave the car and start walking north, Puric said.

They then started running, braving red embers and thick acrid smoke, he said.

“It was honestly very hard to see … we tried to keep our eyes closed as much as possible,” Puric said. It was painful to breathe and they suffered cuts and bruises while walking barefoot, he said. They even hitched a ride on a golf cart for half a mile. Back at the hotel, there was limited food and no power, but Puric said they were able to fly to Honolulu on Aug. 10.

Robert Puric, 59, Scott's father, said it was stressful feeling helpless so far away. 

“For young kids to see this type of devastation, I am sure they will never forget this,” he said. “But we feel so bad for the people of Maui. Their hearts are broken.”