iveg - Flames Descend

from SpinTunes 21 Round 1 by Spintunes

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about

I live 24 miles from Lahaina. Tuesday 8 August we were dealing with fires on our side of the island [Olinda, Kula]. We received no news or alerts about Lahaina. From 9 to midnight the whole eastern horizon was orange. Everyone mauka [above] the highway was told to evacuate. My upstairs neighbor told us about Lahaina, then headed off to see if he could get drone footage of the Upcountry fires. Wednesday my coworkers told me "Lahaina's destroyed", but there was nothing on the news or online until about noon. The fires are still not 100% contained, three weeks later.

lyrics

Phone chimes warnings in the morning
Fires on the mountainside
Scent of burnt mesquite [kiawe]
Smoke stings my throat and eyes

Tears trickling down my cheeks
Dark pillars blowing
Flames descend through fields of golden grass

Kihei driving in the evening
Glow up Kaiwahine Street
Neighbors staring at the mountain
Blaze so high just out of reach

Tears trickling down my cheeks
Dark pillars blowing
Flames descend through fields of golden grass

Highway’s blocked at Maala’ea
Eastern sky glows through the trees
Evacuation orders - grab a bag and leave
My upstairs neighbor says Lahaina’s burning
We never knew

Flames descend, flames descend
Flames descend, flames descend

credits

from SpinTunes 21 Round 1, released September 5, 2023

license

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Spintunes Union, South Carolina

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