PARADISE, Calif. — It's been nearly five years since the people of Paradise, California, experienced the devastating Camp Fire that killed over 80 people. General manager of Nic's restaurant April Kelly remembers the deadly fire all too well as her husband was lucky to escape it and her immediate family lost 16 houses to the fire.

What You Need To Know

  • Maui fires have killed over 95 people making it the deadliest fire in modern U.S. history

  • The Camp Fire in Nothern California killed over 80 people in 2018 and is now the second deadliest fire in modern U.S. history

  • The community impacted by the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, are rallying to help those on Maui

  • Nearly five years after the Camp Fire people are still rebuilding their homes in Paradise that were destroyed by the fire

The mother of one grew up in Paradise and moved to Lahaina on Maui in her early 20s, where she lived for 16 years.

She moved back to Paradise one year before the Camp Fire.

With close friends still on Maui, she said the images and videos of the fiery devastation on the island are hard to watch.

"I have many, many friends that have lost their houses," Kelly said. "The sailing boat I used to sail on was lost. Lots of friends and family are going through a lot of devastation and to have both my hometown and really the place I became an adult in be impacted by fire has been really hard and surreal."

The fires on Maui have stirred emotions for many people in Paradise.

Paradise Vice Mayor Rose Tryon is so grateful she was able to escape the Camp Fire. She said the harrowing images from Maui have triggered many people, including her.

"You know, you think after five years it wouldn't bother you, but it was really tough, you know," Tryon said. "You sort of start to relive the whole thing and to see the devastation that they went through is very similar to what we went through."

Tryon said she knows for the people of Maui, like Paradise, rebuilding will not be an easy process.

She said it took over a year after the Camp Fire for many properties to be cleaned and safe enough to begin rebuilding.

Tryon said 3,000 homes have been rebuilt.

A huge help for people in Paradise when the Camp Fire happened, Tryon said, was having access to the FEMA satellite office, and recommends people on Maui speak with FEMA when they can.

"FEMA came in and took over a large retail space," Tryon said. "And they just had booths all the way around, and you walk through the door, you signed up with FEMA, they got to know who you are, you got your FEMA number."

It's that type of advice Kelly has been pushing out to her Maui network through social media.

Kelly said it doesn't stop there for her. She has begun work at the restaurant to raise money for the people of Maui.

"Next week, we're going to have a pizza fundraiser, a take-and-bake pizza, where people can come and buy the pizza," she said. "The proceeds from that will go to the people of Maui." 

There are also jars people can add donations to, along with a GoFundMe Kelly has set up.

Plans, Kelly said, are already underway for her to fly out to Maui to aid in the recovery.

She said she'll continue doing what she can for the island and the people she loves.