Las Vegas businessman aims to help Hawaiians affected by wildfire

One local Las Vegas coffee shop owner is breathing easier after his relatives escaped a firestorm in Maui overnight.

Jai Alboro is helping to lead a donation drive to help several thousand residents of Maui and his hometown of Lahaina.

“Everybody lost their homes, lost their jobs,” said the 38-year-old Alboro, who just returned home a week ago from a visit to his hometown. “There are a lot of people unaccounted for.

The historic tourist town was mostly reduced to ashes, according to news reports.

“I’m blessed right now because my grandmother, aunts and cousins all got out. I haven’t spoken with my Dad, but I’ve talked to people who said they saw him at different locations today, so knock on wood he is OK.”

He said his father, Fuzzy Alboro, lost his fishing boat in the harbor along with several other fishermen.

“It (the fire) was spreading at about 60 miles an hour, so it was a losing battle for the fire department,” he said. “We are hearing quite a few people didn’t get out in time.”

As for the donation drive, seven businesses are collecting donations and Alboro plans to contact Southwest, Hawaiian Airlines and FedEx to try and get all donations transported.

“We’re just trying to do our part from the ninth island,” he said. “We’re just trying to help out the community and things are filling up quickly.”

“We are collecting toilet paper, water and nearly anything,” coffee tender Tazarae Barques said while working Wednesday at 9th Island Kava, 5447 S. Rainbow Blvd. She arrived from Hawaii two years ago, she said.

Items needed include first aid, toiletries, water, dry food and clothes. The plan is to collect donations before shipping them on Sunday, she said.

About a half-dozen businesses jumped into action Wednesday, just hours after six deaths were reported on the island.

The wildfire tore through the heart of Maui on with alarming speed and ferocity, destroying dozens of homes and businesses in a historic tourist town, killing at least six people and injuring at least two dozen. Panicked residents had to jump into the ocean to flee the flames.

A late Wednesday story said 271 structures were destroyed or damaged.

Barques said preliminary plans are to collect items through Sunday and then get them shipped to Maui.

Some of the businesses collecting donations include:

— Honors Brand, 9175 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 108.

— 2 Scoops of Aloha, 9620 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite N2.

— 9th Island Kava | 5447 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite E7

— Generations Kitchen, 6280 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 100.

— P3 Medical Group at 653 N Town Center Drive Suite 106, has opened its doors to donations. The clinic is attached to Summerlin Hospital. They will accept similar donations during business hours Monday-Fr a.m. - 5 p.m.

— Crunch of Aloha at 10960 S. Eastern Avenue will accept donations Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report.