NCIS: Hawai'i stars Vanessa Lachey and Alex Tarrant have honored those who have lost their lives in the devastating Hawai'i wildfires, and shared how fans can provide support for those on the island of Maui.
Vanessa, who leads the cast of the hit CBS show that films near Honolulu on the island of Oahu, reposted her husband Nick's grid post which offered advice on how people can help.
"Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected on Maui as they battle these incredibly destructive wildfires. While the resilience of the Hawaiian people is legendary, this tragedy will take time and resources to rebuild from. I’ve put a link in my bio, please help if you can," he captioned the post.
© InstagramAlex, who plays Kai Colman on the show, added two videos from locals that revealed the extensive damage that has been caused.
Hawai'i is made up of six main islands, and Maui is one of the major tourist hotspots, with 30 miles of beaches and the volcanic Haleakala. The wildfires have killed 55 people, and destroyed the island's original capital, Lahaina; Lahaina was the hometown of the royal residence of King Kamehameha, who famously unified the islands by defeating the other chiefs. The Kings and Queens of the island are buried in the graveyard of the 200-year-old Wainee Church, which has been photographed in flames this past week.
The wildfires have been declared the deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. Governor Josh Green has warned that the death toll will rise as search and rescue teams continue their work. The wildfires erupted earlier this week after a dry summer and strong winds which hit the island after a passing hurricane came close to land.
"Without a doubt, it feels like a bomb was dropped on Lahaina,” the governor said.
There have been concerns that the state did not release warning sirens to warn residents of the raging fires.
Records show that the island's 400 sirens did not go off; officials have insisted that alerts were sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, however the wildfires had caused widespread power outages.
Pierce Brosnan, 70, and wife Keely, 59, who have a home on the island of Kauai, put out a call to fans for their support, with Keely writing: "My sincere and heartfelt prayers for Maui, the Hawaiian community, residents, families and animals affected by these unprecedented wildfires. If you are able, please consider making a donation to the Hawaii / Maui Community Foundation to help those in need," and she ended with "Mahalo Nui Loa," which translates to "Thank you very much."
© Getty ImagesOthers that have shared their support include former President Barack Obama who tweeted: "It’s tough to see some of the images coming out of Hawai’i — a place that’s so special to so many of us. Michelle and I are thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one, or whose life has been turned upside down."
Jason Momoa, who is from Honolulu, added: "We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and ‘ohana on Maui who have been impacted by the recent wildfires.v Link in our bio to organizations that are helping."
Click here to donate.
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