Heartbroken Mick Fleetwood's restaurant destroyed in 'catastrophic' wildfires as he pledges to be advocate for Hawaii
14 August 2023, 11:25
Mick Fleetwood has vowed to become an “advocate” for Hawaii after the devastating wildfires destroyed his beloved restaurant on Maui island.
The 76-year-old drummer and co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, was in Los Angeles when the blazes broke out.
He rushed to Hawaii to find his restaurant Fleetwood’s On Front St. had been razed just days before staff were due to celebrate the venue’s 11th anniversary.
Fleetwood said he was lucky not to lose his home amid “complete devastation' on Maui. So far, 93 people are confirmed to have died in the deadly blaze, but the authorities expect the death toll will be much bigger.
In a post on Twitter, he wrote: “Maui and the Lahaina community have been my home for several decades. This is a devastating moment for Maui, and many are suffering unimaginable loss.
“Fleetwood’s on Front Street has been lost and while we are heartbroken, our main priority is the safety of our dear staff and team members.
“On behalf of myself and my family, I share my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for the people of Maui.”
— Mick Fleetwood (@MickFleetwood) August 10, 2023
Read More: Harrowing moment Maui residents jump into the sea to save themselves from raging wildfires
He told Sky News: “The whole town of Lahaina is no more. That in itself is a statement that leads you immediately to the people who lived there.
“Selfishly, I haven’t lost a family member. I didn’t lose my house. Yeah, it could have happened, but it didn’t happen... I’m really lucky. Now, what the hell can I do?
“The immediacy is finding people. The immediacy is communicating and knowing who’s here and who’s safe.”
“What I can do and I’m doing is being an advocate to say: ‘Pay attention to what is going on’. That’s actually way more helpful than going down and crying in Lahaina ... that will happen, I’m sure, but not now.”
Residents in Lahaina fear the town will be targeted by developers and wealthy outsiders looking to profit on its charred land, but Fleetwood said he would be “waving a flag” against any such moves.
“The thought of it becoming some form of playground with no reference to the dignity of that town, to me, would be abhorrent."
Hawaii officials have urged tourists to avoid travelling to Maui as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island that faces a long recovery from the fires.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green on Sunday likened the burnt-out city of Lahaina to a “war zone”.
“Right now, we are still in the throes of the acute phase of this recovery, meaning that we’re still recovering the tragic loss of life.
“We’re at 93 (victims) now ... it’s a war zone, but the help is incredible."
He vowed to investigate the response to the blaze and the emergency notification systems after some residents questioned whether more could have been done to warn them.
The death toll made the blaze Hawaii’s worst natural disaster, surpassing a tsunami that killed 61 people in 1960, a year after Hawaii became a US state.
