SAN ANTONIO — The death toll is rising in Maui.
As of Thursday evening, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in years has claimed the lives of at least 53 people.
The historic town of Lahaina, which is also a popular tourist destination, is destroyed. All that's left are memories.
Now, help is pouring in. Texans are doing what they can to support Maui families who lost everything.
"This is not real. It can't be happening," said San Antonian, Rene'e Park, owner of Aloha Kitchen on the northeast side.
13 of Park's aunts and uncles live on Maui. All but two live in Lahaina.
"My cousin told me it sounded like a war because the explosions," Park explained. "It was just explosions, fire and smoke."
Every summer since birth, Park travels to Maui. She makes the trip with her Hula Halau performers.
"We were just there last week," she said. "We all just started coming back."
The wildfire took the island by surprise Tuesday, ravaging neighborhoods in Lahaina. The tourist destination dating back to the 1700s is completely leveled.
"I can recognize some of the landmarks, especially the banyan tree," said Park. "Every trip to Maui, I'd always go down to Front Street. This year, for some odd reason, we actually went under the tree and took pictures."
Several of Park's family members lost their homes. Some of these houses, she said, were in their family for generations. Until it's safe to return, Park says part of her family is sheltering at her grandmother's house on the beach.
Thursday morning on the island, residents witnessed a glimmer of hope.
Gabriel Gallegos, a Houston native living in Kihei, shared a video of KENS 5 showing much-needed rain in Maui.
"It rained this morning so it looked like the fire kind of died down," said Gallegos in a Zoom interview Thursday afternoon.
When Gallegos learned what was happening just miles away, he says he did what any Texan would do.
"Being from Texas, we don't know any other way. When people are in need, we just got in the car and started rolling around trying to help out however we could," he said.
He and his friends delivered food to anyone in their path.
"We've been feeding pizzas to everybody that we can. The Coast Guard, all the volunteers," said Gallegos. "We took breakfast tacos [Thursday] morning. They loved it. They were like, 'Breakfast tacos?' I was like, 'Yeah! Mexicans on the island.'"
Now, Gallegos is planning to start a non-profit to help Maui rebuild.
"Anything you can do to help...please dig deep because every little bit is going to help these folks," said Gallegos. "It's gonna take all of us to get this back together."
At Aloha Kitchen in San Antonio, Park is hosting a fundraiser Friday benefitting her beloved Maui. You can buy authentic Hawaiian food, bring money or bring clothes. Donations will be sent with Red Cross members who will ship everything to Maui.
"Anything you can send, blessings and rainbows," she told us. "My heart, my memories, I want to help my family...Imua Kākou. 'Everybody move forward. Let's all move forward."
Aloha Kitchen is located at 1151 Harry Wurzbach, just down the street from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Park also started a GoFundMe to help her family during this national emergency.