Former Xposé Presenter’s Hawaii Home Devastated in Terrifying Wildfire
Former Xposé presenter Peter O’Riordan has spoken out about the heart-wrenching moment he discovered that his family home in Hawaii had been destroyed in a devastating wildfire. Peter, who relocated to Maui in 2016, received the shocking news while he was in Chicago, resulting in a distressing family phone call.
In an interview with Morning Ireland, Peter shared his experience, saying, I was lying in my bed in my hotel and I received a phone call from the mother of my children, and I was awoken to this hysterical screaming. As you can imagine, I was completely taken aback – I wasn’t even awake yet.
Stephanie, the mother of Peter’s children, was on the line sobbing uncontrollably, conveying the horrific news, It’s gone. It’s all gone. We’re leaving, we’re out of here. I have the kids. The devastation hit them hard, with Peter recounting the emotional distress, All the memories, everything we have, it’s gone. It’s gone.
Peter hurriedly made his way back to Maui, returning the following day after navigating through flight arrangements. Upon his arrival, he immediately joined efforts in the island’s rescue mission, utilizing his catamaran company’s boats to aid in rescuing people, transporting supplies, and assisting the community. The next day, he and his team set out to Lahaina town and were confronted by utter destruction beyond imagination.
He described the sight, saying, All we saw was just absolute devastation and destruction that is absolutely unimaginable. It was as if someone literally dropped a bomb on the west side of Maui and everything has been absolutely obliterated. The scene was haunting, with the remnants of buildings reduced to rubble and cars submerged in dust. Tragically, there were casualties as well, as Peter grimly shared, Death, destruction everywhere.
What adds to the despair is the fact that there were no warnings before the wildfire struck. The siren system meant to alert residents failed, leaving the community completely unprepared for the approaching disaster. Our siren system failed us. These people had no warning whatsoever that this was coming. It happened so quickly that they were absolutely destroyed in their houses, Peter explained with a somber tone.
As the island of Maui grapples with the aftermath of this devastating wildfire, the community will need all the support it can get to rebuild and heal. Peter O’Riordan’s first-hand account of the harrowing experience serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of such disasters and highlights the importance of disaster preparedness and effective warning systems.
Many families like Peter’s have lost their homes and everything they hold dear, leaving them to face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from scratch. The road to recovery may be long and challenging, but with the spirit of resilience and the support of the global community, the people of Maui will emerge stronger than ever before.
