Retired NJ fire chief living in Maui never saw anything like

MAUI, HAWAII (CBS) — A former New Jersey fire chief now living in Hawaii said he’s never seen a level of devastation comparable to the fires that have destroyed parts of the island of Maui this week.

Patrick Bigoss once served in the Mount Laurel Fire Department. But he’s been living in Hawaii since 2018.

The fires have scorched the island and destroyed homes, killing dozens of people. Search and rescue efforts were still underway Saturday. It’s considered the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii state history and is prompting a massive federal response.

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“One of the fires that did a lot of damage is in the Kula area,” Bigoss said. “I’m maybe three miles from there. I’ve never really seen anything as completely destructive as this was.”  

Since Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there may be challenges with rebuilding, Bigoss said.

How to help those affected by the Maui wildfires

“We’re an island. We’re 2,000 miles away from any continent in any direction you could go. Everything that’s going to be needed for rebuilding is going to have to come here by ships.”

“It’s going to take a long time to get started, and it’s going to be quite a long time until you’re back to some semblance of normalcy.”