Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Eight Days of Hope is responding to the catastrophic devastation caused by wildfires in Maui.
"The damage is horrific," said Stephen Tybor, Eight Days of Hope President and CEO. "The fire traveled a mile, a minute, which means if your house was five miles from the fire, you only had five minutes to get out."
During an appearance on WBEN on Tuesday, Tybor said the all volunteer organization is already on the ground in Maui, partnering with churches to provide some of the most basic needs that one would need, including food and diapers, cots and blankets.
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"The last few days have been very humbling, watching our friends in Maui, go through what they're going through," he said.
Tybor's group has assisted after all kinds of disasters, from floods to tornadoes and hurricanes. A wildfire can be especially challenging.
"When there's a tornado, you're tarping roofs and salvaging items. When there's a flood, you're gutting a house and drying it as quickly as possible. But fires are totally different. It's probably more emotional for the volunteers than anything else. They sit with the family and help them sift through the ashes. The goal is to help them find keepsakes, maybe a half-burnt picture, or a wedding band that was on a nightstand. Or another keepsake that was handed down from their grandparents."
Re-building structures is a long way down the road. Nine to 12 months away, according to Tybor.
Right now, the plan is to give residents a shoulder to cry on, and focus on the many who are still missing.
Eight Days of Hope is assessing the situation. If they open it up to volunteers, they will develop a plan in the next week or two and post it on their site, eightdaysofhope.com.
"One of the things you don't want to do, after a natural disaster, is put a volunteer in harm's way. Air quality is still not where it needs to be. They're still searching properties for victims."
If you would like to make a donation, or follow Eight Days of Hope as they help residents of Maui, you can do so HERE.