Reese Davis, 53, is a traveling nurse. The job requires long hours on the road as she travels back and forth between Vermont and her hometown of Boothbay. She was just pulling into her driveway after one such stint when she received a call from her father, Larry Knowlton. Davis was instantly troubled by her father’s heavy breathing coming through the phone. Knowlton, 81, had open heart surgery last year after a heart attack. 

“What is going on,” Davis recalled asking. Her father’s answer was devastating. 

“Your brother has lost everything.”

Davis’ brother Nick Knowlton, 45, his wife Tilley, daughter Maisey, 6, and their dog Ollie and cat Nugget are among the victims of the recent wildfires in Maui that have destroyed the town of Lahaina. The destruction of the local infrastructure has also made steady communication hard. When her father first called Davis, the two did not even know if everyone in the family was still alive. According to ABC News, by Aug. 19 the death toll was around 111, and almost a thousand people were missing.

Fortunately, Nick Knowlton and his family are unharmed and have been taking shelter in the high lands with plans to stay with some friends in an unaffected area on the other side of Maui. Their house is still standing but is inhabitable due to smoke damage. According to Davis, the family has not been able to salvage any surviving items due to the dangerous conditions, including looters.  

“To lose everything overnight like that is detrimental. It's scarring for somebody. They will live with that forever,” said Davis. She speaks from personal experience. Davis was the same age as her niece when her own house burned down, and she remembers the long-term physiological effects on her mother who developed a fear of losing everything in another fire. 

“You just can't imagine it unless you've been through it,” said Davis. This is why she gets upset at people who try to minimize the fire’s impact, often pointing to the house’s survival. “(Nick) has nothing. He has no utilities. No job. No income.”

Despite the dire circumstances, Nick hopes to stay on the island and rebuild. The family originally intended to evacuate and move to Maine once they were able, but having been a resident of Lahaina for over 20 years, Nick considers the island his home. It is where he met his wife, and where he has built his community. The decision has been tough on Davis and her father, but she recognizes her brother’s commitment to the area. 

“People come and go from (Lahaina). They don't stay permanently, usually, except for (Nick). He has a love of it so much that he never wanted to come home (to Maine). So here he is, in devastation, still wanting to stay.”

No matter where the family eventually ends up, the road to recovery will be long and Davis is thankful for the outpouring of financial support from the local community. Due to her long work hours, Davis does not have much spare time, so the GoFundMe she set up has been a perfect resource. People have also offered to donate items, which Davis hopes to send once her family has a more stable residence. “There are people out there that don't have a lot, and I know some of them that donated don't, but they still donated. It’s amazing.”

Donations can be made on gofundme, or directly to Nick's Venmo @nicholas-knowlton, or Tilley’s @cari-tilley