SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A local FEMA worker and former firefighter is back from Maui, after helping in the grim task of searching for human remains.
Two days after the flames consumed the town of Lahaina, Doug Nakama, a FEMA program specialist based in San Diego, was on the ground in Maui.
A firefighter with San Diego's Fire Department for more than two decades before joining FEMA, Nakama has been in disaster zones like Ground Zero after 9/11 and the Camp Fire in Paradise.
Despite his past experience, Nakama saw something for the first time In the aftermath of the Maui wildfires.
“I’ve never seen fire touch the beach and beyond… never seen it burn to the shoreline,” said Nakama.
Nakama's job: to liaison with local resources, and coordinate federal search teams for the sobering task of finding human remains.
In all, Nakama helped oversee five urban search and rescue teams, some 500 people and 40 K-9s.
Nakama says in the week he was in Maui, his teams, following a grid search, recovered dozens of remains.
“It could be in a bedroom, living room, exit doorway. It was difficult for us to even estimate if persons were asleep, awake, or trying to get out,” said Nakama.
The grim mission is one Nakama and his teams take to heart.
“To find some semblance of closure for their families,” said Nakama.
That job took a toll.
“Some personnel did need support,” said Nakama.
Nakama says mental health resources were provided to his teams.
While Nakama also saw the toll it took on Maui residents, including police and fire crews, he says their determination was also evident.
“They definitely have the spirit, ‘We’ll come back, come back strong,’ but it’s going to take time,” said Nakama.
Search crews are nearing the end of the search for victims. So far, 115 have been confirmed dead with more than 100 people reported missing.
DNA samples have been collected from the remains, and so far, 45 victims have been identified.
