MILWAUKEE — Easy to miss if it wasn't for the neon rainbow sign, Ono Kine Grindz emanates the Aloha spirit on North Ave. in Wauwatosa. There, co-owners David Lau and Guy Roeseler sell goods from Hawaii including macadamia nuts, sauces and candies. They also serve Hawaiian food from their small kitchen and deli.
But on Wednesday, they watched in horror as the islands they consider home were ravaged by wildfires.
"It's heartbreaking. I find it, it's like an apocalypse," said Lau.
Lau was born and raised on the island of Oahu. He knows just how big the impact will be as fires continue to burn on the Big Island and Maui.
"There's just nothing they can do and I feel for them. Especially coming out of COVID, businesses are just coming back up and now it will take a decade, at least, for it to come back up and redevelop," Lau shared.
Roeseler, originally from Brookfield, met Lau on a trip to Hawaii years ago. He said he went on a trip for 3 days and stayed for 12 years. He and Lau called Hawaii home during that time.
"In west Maui, which is where Lahaina is, it's a town about 10,000 people... The tiny fire department is not scaled to cope with something like this. So basically the whole historical town of Lahaina is just burning. There's nothing they can do to stop it," Roeseler explained. "All those people, now they have no home and they have no job. I really feel bad for them, I have a lot of empathy."
Lau said fires of this scale are new to the islands.
"In the summer there used to be a little brush fire, but it was always controlled," Lau recalled growing up on Oahu.
According to Hawaii's Climate Change Portal, the number of wildfires on the islands is growing and is worsened by climate change. Those wildfires ultimately harm Hawaii's fragile ecosystems, spread disease, degrade air quality, cause landslides and destroy resources and infrastructure according to the climate change portal.
A map from the National Interagency Fire Center predicts above-normal fire potential for all of Hawaii in August this year.
Luckily Lau and Roeseler's family haven't been impacted by the fires at this point. Although they are likely to see some smoke.
"The islands are about 25 miles apart from each other. So the weather, the smoke and stuff will pass from one to another," Roeseler said.
While their focus is on the people of Hawaii and those impacted by the wildfires, they said there is a potential impact on business as well.
"We have lots and lots of the world's best coffee and that's what I'm really worried about. If Kona catches on fire the world is going to be in trouble," Roeseler said referring to the Kona Coffee they sell at the marketplace.
Kona is on the Big Island. Because it's higher in the mountains it hasn't yet been impacted by the fires.
Other agricultural products are also at risk as fires continue to burn.
"These are boutique-y little companies that make this stuff, and that's what's really sad, you know?" Roeseler said of the many Hawaiian products sold at the Marketplace.
Lau and Roeseler are now asking their community in Wisconsin to help support their community in Hawaii.
"We encourage you to donate, open up your hearts and help your neighbor with a little Aloha. They sure could use your help right now," Lau said.
The Ono Kine Grindz owners said they will start donating 10% of their proceeds to the Red Cross to help with recovery efforts.
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