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Woman got to safety before fire destroyed Hawaii home
A Colleyville resident who lived in Maui with her roommate said she almost got caught in the wildfires that destroyed parts of Hawaii.
COLLEYVILLE, Texas - Recovery efforts continue in Maui, where the historic town of Lahaina was destroyed by a major wildfire.
At least 114 people have died there and more than 1,000 are still missing.
Reports say the damage could cost about $6 billion.
A Colleyville resident who lived in Maui with her roommate said she almost got caught in the flames.
In situations like this, timing can make all the difference, and in this case, it did.
For one survivor, she believes that if she had left her house any later, then she could have been caught in the fire.
"I always wanted to go to Hawaii, it was always a dream," Megan Busey said.
As of 10 months ago, Busey moved from Colleyville and was living her dream.
"I went there to work for the Pacific Whale Foundation," she said.
At 22, Busey was helping out on the foundation’s boat and was a lifeguard when people snorkeled in the ocean.
She was looking forward to whale watching season in a few months, but on August 8, all that changed.
"The neighbors were like, ‘Look at that black smoke,’ and we all looked at them and we were trying to scout out the fire," she recalled.
The wildfires in Maui were slowly making their way to Busey’s house in Lahaina.
"What was most concerning to me was feeling hot gusts of wind. I told my roommate we have to leave when I felt hot gusts of wind, that made me really nervous," Busey recalled.
Busey told FOX 4 there were no official warnings to evacuate. She was just following her gut.
"So I just grabbed a few essentials and clothes. I didn’t grab anything sentimental. I didn’t even think about it," she said.
Busey and her roommate were able to get to safety at a friend’s house in another town about 12 miles away.
"Everyone was in shock. We didn’t get any sort of warning. The people I saw from Lahaina were in the grocery store parking lot and they had to stay overnight in their cars, people were drinking from hoses," she said.
When the fires were put out, Busey walked back to her house.
"I was shocked to see what happened to my house, it burned to the ground," she said.
At that same time, in Colleyville, Busey’s parents were trying to find her.
"We were tracking the fires and where she could have been. I kept sending her texts like, ‘Go west, go west. There’s nothing left,’ and ‘Head to the airport, don’t go back to your house,’" Busey’s mother, Rebecca Sobol, said.
Busey’s parents, Rebecca and Neil, contacted everyone they could think of while trying to locate and help her.
"I just panicked. I started calling all the shelters, the Red Cross, the hospitals for information, was teary-eyed during it," Neil said.
About 24 hours later, they found her.
"I think we had just come to the point of realizing that she might be gone. When we got confirmation that she was alive," Busey’s mother said.
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After three days on the island, Busey booked a flight back to Texas.
Her dad shared a photo of Busey and her mom when she landed at DFW Airport.
"It’s just incredible to go from thinking your oldest child may be gone to having her there and good condition," Busey’s mother said. "And the people took care of her and treated her like family until she got back to us."
Even in the chaos, Busey said the "Aloha Spirit" was all around.
"Everybody was coming together," Busey said.
While Hawaii will always feel like home, Busey is thankful to be back with her family.
"The way the fire went through Lahaina allowed me to escape my house. If it had gone first, I could be gone," she said.
Busey said she plans to get a job in North Texas.
The Pacific Whale Foundation lost its boat and its dock in the fire.
FOX, American Red Cross team up to support victims of Hawaii wildfires
Officials said relief is needed immediately, and more will be required later as the islands recover from the impacts.
In the meantime, she encourages people to donate to the Red Cross and Maui United Way to help the island.