A poignant ceremony took place at a local park on Sunday, commemorating what would have been Keyiro Fuentes’ 15th birthday. The teenager had been spending his last day of summer vacation at home when a fierce blaze swept through his hometown of Lahaina.
Despite his adoptive mother’s frantic attempt to rush back to their neighborhood engulfed in flames, she arrived too late to rescue him.
“I deeply regret not having more moments to cherish with him,” expressed Josue Garcia Vargas, Keyiro Fuentes’ brother. “He had so much more life ahead of him. Given the time, I’m certain he would have grown into an extraordinary man.”
The devastating wildfires that struck Maui island in Hawaii, the most lethal in the U.S. in over a century, resulted in the tragic loss of at least 114 lives. According to the mayor of Maui County, a staggering 850 individuals remain unaccounted for.
Luz Vargas, Fuentes’ adoptive mother who operates a local cleaning service, was working five miles away from home. Upon learning about the spreading fire, she and her husband Andres rushed towards their residence. However, they encountered immobilizing traffic, prompting her to continue on foot.
“I was advised not to proceed, not to go,” recounted Vargas, “but my thoughts were solely on my son.”
She then encountered a police barricade.
“I threw myself to the ground, raised my hands, and implored to God,” she recollected.
Bypassing the officers, Vargas was aided by a motorcyclist who took her to the fire’s frontline, where a team of first responders assured her that the area had been evacuated. They assured her that nobody was left behind, encouraging her to maintain hope that her son had escaped.
Two days later, upon reaching her ravaged home, Vargas encountered Fuentes’ lifeless form cradling his deceased dog.
“He appeared different from what I expected, not reduced to ashes. God preserved him in this manner. This confirmed his identity,” she affirmed.
With the help of her husband and son Josue, Vargas enshrouded Fuentes’ remains in a tarp and carried his body for half a mile to a nearby police station. Now, the family is grappling not only with the void left by their loss but also with the unrealized potential of what could have been.
Scheduled for Monday, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are set to visit the fire-ravaged area. Their visit aims to assess the aftermath of the wildfires and extend support to those who survived the disaster.
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