BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Over the weekend, local Red Cross volunteers were supporting victims of the Maui wildfires, while here in Bakersfield, residents and businesses are hoping to raise funds to send overseas.
"He's been terrified," said Bakersfield resident Matthew Kirkeby. "I mean he sent me a text at one point and was just like, 'I've got to be honest I'm trying to keep it together but I'm scared,'."
Kirkeby's brother lives in Maui where historic wildfires have incinerated the town of Lahaina. Kirkeby's brother Brent saw his entire home turned to ash. Kirkeby said his brother, brother's partner, and their two-year-old son were currently residing a small shack for shelter.
"Fortunately the main house where he and his girlfriend and son lived, they'd evacuated it so everyone was safe but it burned to the ground," Kirkeby said. "He does contract work and he had an excavated he'd saved up for, some $30,000, and it burned down as well as his truck."
Efforts to support the victims of the wildfires are underway, including here in Bakersfield. Cindy Huge with the Red Cross said she and a few other Bakersfield volunteers will be there around 3 weeks. Houchin Community Blood Bank is also on standby and asking for donations in case they a called to send blood and platelets to Hawaii.
Kirkeby said his brother was separated from his girlfriend and their two year old son for two days due to roadblocks and after losing their home they’re now living out of a one bedroom shack. He said the shack was used by his brother as a workplace and isn't equipped to be lived in for long periods of times.
"He'd kind of caught wind of supply issues and food shortages so he asked her to go purchase some stuff and she left, and when she tried to come back there were some roadblocks," he said. "Just when everything is going haywire and your life is crumbling around you, not to have you family with you has got to be really tough."
Kirkeby is asking for donations to send his brother. He's hoping to raise around $5,000 to send his brother to help with getting food and essential items.
Around town local businesses like Tiki-Ko and Ono Hawaiian, as well as well as residents are fundraising to help the victims.
