Oprah Winfrey, a part-time resident of Maui, is helping volunteering efforts for those displaced by the deadly wildfires there.
Hurricane winds spread the flames in several parts of the island quickly; the death toll now stands at 55.
The BBC spotted Winfrey at Maui’s War Memorial Stadium, which has been turned into an evacuation center. It was there she handed out supplies, and helped make up beds for the evacuees.
“It’s a little overwhelming, you know,” said the 69-year-old icon on Thursday, August 10. “But I’m really so pleased to have so many people, you know, supporting, and people are just bringing what they can and doing what they can.”
She added, “So I came earlier, just to see what people needed, and then went shopping because often you make donations of clothes or whatever, and it’s not really what people need. So I actually went to Walmart and Costco…and got pillows, shampoo, diapers, sheets, pillowcases.”
She even took photos with fans.
Authorities say the blaze in hard-hit Lahaina has been contained; they put containment on a fire in central Pulehu at 70%, and there’s still a fire raging in Upcountry Maui.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
