One family’s lives ended in tragedy when a mother, her son, and her parents died. Photos of the family before the disaster have surfaced as their closest people mourn them.A devastating disaster struck the area of Lahaina in Maui, affecting the lives of the community living there. Of those who didn’t survive were the Tone family, who died while trying to flee the wildfires that engulfed the Hawaiian town.
Among the members of the Tone family who perished due to the wildfires were parents Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, their adult daughter Salote Takafua, and her son, Tony Takafua.
Following the confirmation of their deaths, their grieving family released a statement expressing their deep mourning:
“On behalf of our family, we bid aloha to our beloved parents, Faaso and Malui Fonua Tone, as well as our dear sister Salote Takafua and her son, Tony Takafua. The magnitude of our grief is indescribable, and their memories will forever remain etched in our hearts.”
Shortly before the tragedy, Salote took to Facebook to share photos and videos of her adventures with her family, which proved to be one of their final moments before the family met their tragic end.
What Happened to the Family?
On August 7, Salote shared photos of herself and her son on Facebook. In the pictures, they smiled and pulled funny faces. There were photos of them on the beach and videos of them enjoying themselves.The family, who had been residents in the Lahaina area for a long time, lived just below the local primary school. However, the entire area was engulfed in wildfire flames that spread quickly through the site last week.
Salote’s family had the difficult task of identifying the bodies of their family, including Salote, Tony, Fasso, and Malui, after they had been found burned in their car not far from their home.The remaining family members shared their grief with other community members and came together on Sunday to honor their families and others experiencing similar grief.
What Happened after the Family Was Identified?
On Sunday, Lahaina community members gathered in a church service for the first time since the fires began last week. The service was held at the Maui Coffee Attic in Wailuku and led by Pastor Arza Brown.The service could not be held at the usual Grace Baptist Church as it burned down during the fires. The community gathered in a makeshift church to pray for the deceased and their futures.
Some people in attendance were young parents, survivors of the fires, and elderly couples. Those who had survived the events came to talk to attendees about their experience and how to move forward.
Josh Green, the Hawaiin governor, gave an update on Sunday on what would happen with those displaced by the fires, saying:
“Some of the first individuals will go into hotels today, and then large numbers tomorrow and the days subsequent to that.”
Those who have lost their homes will also be able to move into rental homes for the time being until their homes can be restored or new homes are built. Green called the wildfires “the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced.”
Two thousand two hundred buildings were damaged or completely lost to the fires, 86% of which Green confirmed were residential. Green estimates the damage to be at about $6 billion for now and asked that prayers be sent out to all those who had lost their homes, lives, or family members.
Searches are ongoing, trying to find survivors of the tragedy, and as of Sunday, only 3% of the area had been thoroughly searched. The searches will continue until the entire area has been covered.Some community members have also signed up to be part of the search and rescue efforts, with one woman named Peg Alm saying:
“I was tired of waking up and crying the whole morning. This is like the soul of the island has been ripped up.”
Alm decided that instead of crying, she would put her energy into signing up for the relief efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tone family and those affected by the devastating wildfires.