Jesus Madrigal's dream was to own a business in the community he grew up in.
The 31-year-old Lāhainā resident said saving for a food truck took three years. His hard work paid off when he opened Real Mexican Grindz, nestled on Lahainaluna Road.
Madrigal served Latin American dishes such as ceviche tostadas and cochinita pibil tacos. He memorized every one of his customer's orders because, to him, they weren't just customers — they were regulars.
After three months of business, the wildfires swept through Lāhainā, engulfing his food truck and home.
"It's probably one of the first things to go in this fire," he said.
Although he's lived in Lāhainā for most of his life, Madrigal doesn't qualify for federal relief funds because he is a citizen of Mexico.
Navigating the Federal Emergency Management Agency can be daunting for many immigrant families. FEMA officials say those who qualify must be U.S. citizens or can receive assistance through a family member that's a citizen.
Madrigal said only his brother qualified, who has a wife and children that are U.S. citizens.
"It needs to be someone in your household that you're related to," said Caitlin Morgenstern, board president of the Emergency Legal Responders. "Normally it's a child, but it could be a brother, sister, or grandparent, but you have to be members of that same household."
But Madrigal said he and his family will be OK.
"Lāhainā has been our home for over 30 years," he said. "We are strong. We will continue to be Lāhainā strong as everybody knows it is, and we will rebuild whenever we are allowed to."
Latinos make up about 11% of Hawaiʻi's population. Madrigal said many of his friends and neighbors came from different places in Latin America.
"Are you from Guatemala? Are you From Mexico? Are you from El Salvador? Are you from Honduras?" he said. "Lāhainā, it was a blessing because there are so many cultures and so many people, but everybody accepts everybody."
Madrigal lived with 11 family members. He moved to Lāhainā from Mexico when he was just over a year old, and this historic town is all he knew.
"It was an amazing experience to grow up, especially in my generation," he said. "We were welcomed in and seen, as I like to tell people, as a lighter shade of brown."
Madrigal recalled seeing black smoke from afar when the fires occurred last week.
It took the Madrigal family nearly two hours to get out of Lāhainā. The family is currently staying in Wailuku to figure out what's next.
Madrigal said a sentimental item he lost was his blanket, the last memory of his late grandmother.
"It was one of the few things I had left of her, and now it's gone with the rest of my house," he said.
With the insurance money, Madrigal said he expects to reopen his truck in about three months. He added that he wants to return and serve his Lāhainā community his cultural delicacies.
"These people, I don't know where they're at right now," he said. "So I would love to be able to situate myself back in the same area, see some familiar faces, and see that they made it out alive and that they are OK."
