One Hawaii family with Williamsburg ties is feeling lucky to be safe after losing their home in the fire that destroyed the coastal town of Lahaina in Maui three weeks ago.
Although Mary Tornai, her husband Max and their son Ollie recently lost just about everything in the fire that ravaged their home, Tornai counts herself as “one of the lucky ones.”
“We’re safe and together,” Tornai said during a phone interview.
Tornai, who was born and raised in Williamsburg and attended Walsingham Academy, is one of thousands affected by the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. As of Monday, at least 115 people had been killed, with hundreds still unaccounted for.
She recalled fleeing the fire on the afternoon of Aug. 8, describing how “touch-and-go” it was as she and her family were forced to wait in standstill traffic waiting to get out of Lahaina on the one available route. Around the road, flames continued to spark and the smoke was everywhere, she said, while people were running for their lives down the road.
The family is now living in a vacation rental and still looking for a long-term housing solution while they work to rebuild their lives.
Since she first moved to Maui for a job in 2007, Tornai, who now works as the chief operating officer of the Hawai’i Farm Project, has always lived in Lahaina. When she first arrived, it was a big leap of faith, she remembered: “I was like, if it works out, great, and if it doesn’t, that’s the luxury of being in your 20s.”
Before long, Maui became Tornai’s forever home. The only “bummer” is how far away it is from her family, which is still in Virginia, Tornai said.
In 2011, she met her husband, a Massachusetts native, and they had their son, 7-year-old Ollie, who has been a “rock star” throughout the family’s upheaval.
“He’s being so positive,” said Tornai.
A GoFundMe site was set up by Debbie Weisman Clasie, a former coworker of Max Tornai’s, and so far, it’s raised over $25,000 to help the family. After being so overwhelmed by the fire and its aftermath, Tornai said the fundraiser has been “insane.”
“We’re so grateful because every dollar counts right now,” she said.
For those who wish to help the Tornai family or other Maui residents, Tornai also pointed to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which is providing financial resources to support immediate and long-term recovery for the people and places affected by the wildfires. The donation page is available online at www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.
“Williamsburg seems so far away but there’s so many ways to help,” Tornai said.
Sian Wilkerson, 757-342-6616, [email protected]
