Pastor Describes ‘Apocalyptic’ Scene as His Family and Neighbors Fled Hawaii Wildfires: ‘Just Chaos’

When winds powerful enough to knock down power lines roared through the Maui community of Lahaina this week, Phil Hopper said many, including himself, had no idea of the devastation to come.

"We thought it was just high winds," the 54-year-old pastor from Kansas City, Missouri, recalled in an interview with The Messenger. "Then it quickly became something far more."

Hopper arrived in Hawaii with his wife and three adult children last Saturday for a trip they had planned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, they traveled about 25 miles from their vacation rental in Kihei to Lahaina for a day of snorkeling.

But shortly after reaching Lahaina, they and thousands of others were attempting to escape a raging wildfire, spurred on by the strong winds that preceded it, as it burned through the historic town.

"It was truly surreal in the middle of it, and didn't take long to realize it was a dangerous situation," Hopper said, recalling how the dark and ashy smoke from the fires quickly blocked out Maui's blue skies, turning the "paradise on Earth" into something else entirely.

"Everything was becoming dark," he recalled. "It was one of those apocalyptic-type scenarios you never think you will be in. Next thing you know, you're in the middle of a cataclysmic event."

It was "just chaos" as he and others tried to make their way through massive gridlock to leave town, said Hopper. He posted a video of the scene on social media.

"The town was filling with smoke, and we could see the fire on the other side of the highway," he recounted. "And it was moving at incredible speeds."

The strong winds before the fire were driven by Hurricane Dora, a storm located in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles south of Hawaii, the National Weather Service reported. 

As of Friday, the fire has claimed the lives of at least 67 people, with more than 1,000 unaccounted for.

Power outages and cell phone service disruptions caused by the fire have made establishing contact with some of the missing individuals challenging.

Although the wildfires have been 80% contained, the exact count of missing persons remains uncertain, with Maui Police Chief John Pelletier admitting the impossibility of providing an accurate estimate.

"The town itself is burned to the ground — nothing left," Hopper told The Messenger. "Of course, Lahaina is a historic town, but more than anything, there is the loss of life."

Hopper, who eventually returned to his rental in Kihei, fears the death toll "will probably be worse than what people are seeing on the news."

"It's going to be tragic," he said. "Police said they're still finding more deceased bodies in the area all the time."

Hopper, who plans to leave Hawaii with his family on Sunday, will spend his final day on the islands helping other religious leaders support victims, who he said are doing their best to stay strong.

"The Hawaiian community has come together very quickly," said Hopper. "Nonetheless, you can see the trauma and tragedy in their faces, as much as they're trying to carry on."