How A Paradise Became A Death Trap: An Update

hey it's Sabrina this week the daily is. revisiting some of our favorite episodes. of the Year listening back and then. hearing what's happened in the time. since they first ran today the fire that. devastated Laha Hawaii in August and one. man's story of surviving. it it's Tuesday December. 26th.

hello hi is this. Idris yes it is hi Idris thank you for. taking the time to talk to us and uh I. wonder Idris if you could introduce. yourself for me tell me your name your. age where you live and what your. profession. is my name is Idris noara I'm 32 years. old I lived on Street in Maui.

L and I was the manager at a Hilton. property of the beach pool uh working. sales got it and I wonder if you could. start by telling us just kind of from. the beginning how your day. started so actually was my first true. day off in a long time and I uh woke up. in the middle of the night which was. Monday night Tuesday morning around 3:00.

or 4: a.m. when we lost power so it got. pretty hot so I opened up the windows. and by the time I I woke up around 6:00. 7 a.m. I noticed we didn't have service. neither Self Service yeah and iest say I. was I was just annoyed I was like I've. been waiting for this day off forever. and no power you know we didn't even. know it was a hurricane we just thought. it was windy and were you aware of the. fire at that point oh absolutely not. there was no fire in the morning that I.

was aware of we had no warnings at. all and so I think it was around noon or. 1 one of my neighbors came and knocked. on my door and he said hey you need to. come out and see this so I I came out. and in front of my house you know I have. a little cottage behind my house I could. see a lot of. smoke so I I called my cat as I had. outdoor cat and I called her and I. couldn't find her all day and then I I. just gave up and I closed my door.

and then my neighbor came back maybe an. hour later and he said there's another. fire and it was closer it's actually the. street behind. us and I have a scooter so I actually. went to go check out how close the fire. was and I got on Front Street which is a. street that goes along you know the. ocean and I see there's this restaurant. up in. flame.

and I saw people running and straight in. front of me there's a medical center and. I remember actually seeing a line of. people trying to get in the medical. center and behind me there's a whole. business on fire it's like holy like. what's going everything was on fire like. I I didn't understand how things started. to catch on fire it didn't make. sense and now I started to panic so I. went back to the neighbors but the. neighbors were all gone and I I felt.

kind of lost and and the wind you know. there was wind and there was trees. falling down and I scream for my cat and. I saw her run out the house and she. didn't want to come out you know so I. was panicking you know reality started. to set in and so I said okay maybe you. know the safest place to be right now is. here cuz I I I wouldn't even know where. to go and so I'm closing the door and. about 5. minutes everything turned turned black.

outside and a medical center across the. street was up in flame to the sky oh my. God and I couldn't understand I was said. how like I just saw people like it was. there was nothing like 5 10 minutes. ago and it really looked like someone. put gasoline all over the building and. he just like took up and play it just. didn't extend how like a a stone. building can burn so. fast and so I opened the door so calling. my cat and I felt something burning on.

my shoulder and it was debris like Amber. and I look up in the sky and it's. literally Fire coming down the sky it. was raining. fire and now I said I have to get out of. here and so you know I got everything I. could you know all the Necessities. clothes and wallet and you know pictures. or whatever and put everything in two. big bags and I ran out of the house and. as I ran out of the house there was. Smoke everywhere and and I saw one of my.

neighbors coughing he was right in front. of the house and he was just coughing. and I said what are you doing here it's. like oh I went to the store and I said. okay let's get on my scooter so he came. behind me on my scooter and the fire. came from uphill it was coming down so. to me the safest place if this fire is. watered and so you know in the panic I. was said we have to go to the harbor and. then we got on Front Street.

and on Front Street I was just chaos I. could hear you know screams and then I. couldn't see people but I could hear. them scream scary screams screams of. pain I've never heard before they were. clearly people burning. alive like it was a deep pain you know. and people throwing up and and it was. just it was horrifying it was horrifying. to hear that I'm I'm so glad I can see. it was so it was black cuz there was so. much but we could clearly hear him all.

around us all around us it it felt like. we were in. Hell we'll be right. back the wind itself the wind was the. scariest thing the wind was so hot it. was burning our skin it was so strong. because everything was on fire and I. told Damon you got to tell me one to. turn to the harbor cuz I can't see.

nothing and so we finally got to the. harbor and I left my scooter there and. at the edge of the water on the Harbor. there's a little little house little. it's called The Harbor Master's Hut so. we had our back against the wall and we. were facing the ocean and we're just. waiting we just didn't know what to do. did you say anything to him no we were. not talking we didn't know I mean in my. mind I'm like okay we're going to wait. here at least like we're not going to.

burn that's what I was. thinking but couple minutes waiting. there I saw a shadow just running jump. in the water on the side of the house. and I said Damon did you see this and we. look in the water there a big pitbull. just drowning in front of us you know he. had the big head and yellow eyes and I. didn't I want to help him but I didn't. know if he was going to bite me or pull. him with him in the water yeah you know. so I kept calling him and calling him. but he couldn't do it he he tried his. best to do it but he couldn't do it and. never forget the look he gave me in his.

eyes like he just gave up and his head. went underwater and I told Damon to hold. my seat and I took my shirt off and I. somehow I managed to grab it by the. collar and pulled him out and we Tred to. calm him down he was just walking in. circles he was in panic. mode and then I called the police and I. said hey we're under the harbor we're. stuck you guys have to come get us and. the lady was just she didn't know what. to say she said I'm sorry we can't come. get you everything was in flames and.

they were. overwhelmed I hung up and and I just. remember seeing debris falling from the. sky and our bags kept catching on fire. wow miraculously I saw on my phone I had. one bar service so I try to call my my. best friend Y and I told my best friend. hey I love you tell everybody I love. them it's going to be okay you know. here's my mom's number don't call her. now wait you know let her sleep were you.

preparing because you thought you might. not make it oh yeah we we didn't we. didn't think we were going to make. it and after I hung up with him I called. the police again and she gave me the. same answer she said I'm so sorry and. you know I could feel the frustration in. her voice she was just helpful she. didn't know and I felt so bad for her. because she probably had so many calls. like this and so I hung up again and I. was just. frustrated so at this point I thought. maybe I could get in Harbor Master's Hut.

the Little House Damon had a knife with. him and he cut the screen off and I. start punching the window with all my. strength all my strength until I I. fractur my hand the window was so thick. it wouldn't even do anything and so I. called the police a third time and I. said if you guys don't come right now. we're going to die and she said you guys. have to jump in the. water and I said no way you wants to. jump in a. hurricane at night like with all this.

smoke like there's no way we can jump. the water was. crazy and she said you have no choice. you have to jump in the water and I hung. up and I looked at Damon I was like we. have to jump and Damon said there's no. way I'm jumping I'm not. jumping and I told him listen either we. burn or we. drown and you know I waited a couple. more minutes I tried to convince him and. I said you know I'm jumping they were. rocks maybe 100 feet away or 150 ft and. I finally made.

it and I I looked back and I screamed at. Damon and he was just terrified he was. not you know he was next to the dog and. I saw him jump and I kept screaming and. and he just didn't want to and I could. see him hanging on to the harbor with. half his body in the water and I kept. screaming you need to let go you need to. let. go and he screamed my my shoes are too. heavy and so I just made this decision. to jump and go get him so I got back in.

the water and I got back next to him I. tried to go and take his shoes off but I. can't even find his feet the ocean was. just pushing me against the wall and I. and I I told him you have to follow me I. see and the way he was swimming I said. there's no way he's going to make it he. was just struggling just swallowing. water and coughing and somehow he. managed to get very close to the Rock. and I pulled him up you know he's. overweight and he you know older it was.

a. miracle and you know we still had debris. falling on us and we had waves just. coming over us we were holding on to the. rocks to not like get pulled or sucked. in by the ocean it was just a nightmare. and then I heard a dog. screaming so I was like I have to go. back and I jump back in the water you. know I try to get back in the harbor he. was laying against the wall his eyes. closed and just.

screaming there's no way I could carry. him it's a big pitbull and I had one you. know my hand was fractured or. broken so I thought if I if I try to. grab him the water he's already freaked. out he we're both going to drown you. know he's gonna die for sure and I'm. probably not g to make it yeah so in one. of my bags I had a blanket and I dipped. it in the ocean five or six times and I. put it on top of the. dog that's all I could. do and I took one of my bags and I and I. jumped back and the.

ocean and then I I almost. drown I I was just so exhausted and I. panicked. halfway and I was praying to God please. help. me. and and I I thank God I made it to the. jetty and I went back on the other. side and I talked to Damon and he was. not answering and I grab his hand and he. he just held my hand he was just in. shock. and then maybe an hour after that I saw.

a light at you know far away and I told. Damon I said hey I think there's a boat. over there and we were like screaming I. was screaming at the top of my lungs and. they were like coming towards us like. thank God and it was at the coast guard. and they were like we can't get close. you guys have to jump in the water you. know because it was so rough they were. crashing the rocks and I jumped. first and they got me in I just lay down. on my back. and I could just see Amber just falling.

on us like the sky had no stars the. Amber was the Stars red stars in the sky. that's what it looks like just a black. sky with red stars just falling. [Music]. down I was flowing on the ocean but I. felt like I was fling in space I was. thinking God I was like thank you thank. you thank you.

I I don't deserve this I really just it. was just unbelievable that we made. it and Damon man he he managed to make. it and I was like thank God we made. it and I and I said oh how do you guys. find us and they said we got a call that. someone might be on the Harbor so I. think that lady you know she relayed the. call and finally got to us and I said. thank God we made it and he said oh no.

not yet we still have to go through the. storm and I said where we going and he. said we don't know everything's on. fire and I looked behind me and there. was just it was just un it looked like. War it was just Flames up to the sky the. whole I mean the whole. town in the in the. [Music]. Darkness so we got to Maui high school.

they made a shelter there and then when. we arrived of course we were like. covering suit and all black so everyone. was looking at us and I was barefoot the. people kept staring at my. [Music]. feet everybody knew you know we're the. ones who survived you know everybody. that was in the shelter or the lucky. ones. [Music].

[Music]. after the break senior producer Lindsay. Garrison shares an update on Idris a. survivor of lus. fire it's still very fresh it really. honestly till this day it feels like it. was. yesterday you know I'm at a.

hotel and um no one knows what's next. actually I called Eris back in late. November he talked to me from a hotel he. said he'd been living in hotels for more. than 3 months waiting for FEMA to secure. him an. apartment have you been moved from hotel. to hotel since we talked yes yes oh my. goodness how many hotels yeah um two and.

I actually ended up because they made a. mistake and I ended up homeless for a. night so yeah it's been hard for. everyone and I'm not blaming fima or you. know I know they don't know but it it's. very hard for us and it's really hard to. live in a hotel room for that long you. know eating McDonald's every day not the. most uh best. lifestyle and also like if you leave. your hotel room for more than two or. three days then you lose that room you.

know so you can't even go and visit. family you can't do anything it really. feels like we're in. jail do you do anything to give yourself. some relief from just feeling stuck she. don't want to know absolutely nothing. I'm just in my room every day you know. everyone's displaced all my friends are. on the other side and you're like you. know you don't have the car and you know. it's it's it's kind of hard to to go to. the beach for. your.

yeah yeah it's a weird feeling you know. I have multiple friends that moved lost. their job L their homes I personally. lost my job as well because I was I'm. I'm displaced and you know a lot of us. are still mourning and you know they're. still in. shocked and they reopen for tourist but. um it's kind of like attending a funeral. and you're having a party next door. like you're walking and everyone's happy.

and everyone's drinking and you know and. music and you're there and you feel like. a. ghost like not really in the. mood so it's a weird feeling yeah it's. going to be a long time before the gets. back to how it was and it's never going. to be how it. was did you ever find anything out about. the pitbull that you tried to save no so.

my cat is still missing and then the. Pitbull is still missing I I still have. a little hope I know my friend they just. found her cat like a week ago really. yeah they're still finding a lot of pets. so I don't know if my cat was as. fortunate but people are telling you not. to lose hope I I hope they both turn up. me too me too I really hope so. yeah.

can you sort of Envision what your ideal. future or your ideal life would look. like there in the coming months well it. it's hard because I was living my dream. before all this happened. you so it's hard for me to like think of. a better situation than I had before you. know but um I think my hope would be you. know to get my place and then hopefully. find my cat and then start moving down. from there it's just it's kind of hard.

right now to to imagine about. anything yeah and that's the hardest. part the hardest thing is not to. [Music]. know today's episode was produced by. Lindsey Garrison and Sydney Harper it. was edited by Liz o Balin and Michael. benois with help from Lexi di contains.

original music by Marian Lozano Rowan. Nimo and Dan Powell and was engineered. by Alyssa. Moxley that's it for the daily I'm Saina. Tavern see you. tomorrow.