Of 100 victims of the Lahaina fire, legacies live on

Terri Thomas was a beloved aunt who loved outdoor adventures. Po’omaika’i Estores-Losano, a musician and father, was trying to rebuild his life. Tony Takafua, 7 years old, had barely begun his.

Buddy Jantoc, a grandfather, was among the first to be identified. And Lydia Coloma, 70, was the last.

They were among the 100 known victims of the wildfire that tore through Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii on Aug. 8. The identification of Coloma on Friday brought to a quiet close the somber task by authorities of identifying individuals believed to have died in the blaze.

“Our hearts go out to the families, friends and community affected by this devastating event,” Maui officials said in the news release announcing the identification of the 100th victim.

Coloma was the ninth member of her family to have been identified as a fatal victim of the wildfire, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat.

The news came almost two months after authorities had last identified a victim.

More than two-thirds of the deceased were older than 60. They included Alfredo Galinato, 79, who died trying to save his longtime family home, and Louise Abihai, the oldest at 97, who was one of several victims in the Hale Mahaolu Eono senior housing complex.

Three of the victims were younger than 18, including Justin Recolizado, 11, and 7-year-old Tony, the youngest.

Tony loved football and video games, and enjoyed riding electric bikes with his cousins. On Aug. 8, he was with his mother, Salote Tone, who adored her “Boobear.”

The two of them tried to escape the fire along with her parents, Faaoso and Maluifonua Tone, in their Honda Civic, but they did not survive. Salote’s brother Folau Tone was driving a Nissan truck through the flames with his four children.

He has struggled with the weight of wondering why his car made it out but his sister’s did not.

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