CHICAGO (WLS) — A retired police officer once again had to evacuate due to a fire, just a few years after being caught in the Lahaina wildfires.
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Firefighters in Maui were fighting a brush fire on Monday that was burning above Kaanapali, Hawaii.
This fire is located only a few miles north of where the destructive Lahaina wildfires happened almost two years ago.
Mike Zepeda and his family had initially planned their Hawaii trip to mark his retirement as a West Chicago police officer in 2023.
Unfortunately, during that trip, they found themselves stuck in the midst of the fatal Lahaina fire.
Now, two years later, Zepeda and his family returned to Hawaii, only to encounter yet another threatening situation.
“I felt so bad for the first time we tried to get out here,” he said. “We felt so bad back then we tried to help.”
Zepeda said a brush fire near their hotel forced them to evacuate.
He said the smoke was so thick, they had to place towels on their face to help them to breathe.
Zepeda explained the quick emergency response from local authorities and the prompt alerts from the hotel.
When asked if they would try to get back home, he said: “We are sticking around.”
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ABC News contributed to this report.
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