Amidst the wildfire destruction on the Hawaiian island of Maui, a distributor there is determined to help their team and the surrounding community in the healing process.

Arizona-based Williams & Associates (asi/360450), the Counselor 2016 Distributor Family Business of the Year, also operates a location in Lahaina, the worst-hit community on the island. As of this writing, 115 people are confirmed dead, more than 380 are still unaccounted for, and over 2,000 structures have been completely destroyed.

Fortunately, Williams & Associates’ location in the historic town was spared, aside from soot and dust blown in under the doors, says Owner Bert Williams. Meanwhile, trucks just 30 feet from the building’s entrance, as well as the business next door, were annihilated.

Williams & Associates’ facility in Lahaina was spared from the wildfires.

“It’s a miracle that our building is still standing,” says Williams, who was initially informed that it had been completely destroyed. “The rep from Servpro said he’s never seen anything like it – it should have burned to the ground.”

The wildfires on Aug. 8 and 9 were an “apocalyptic event” that burned the town in mere minutes, says Williams. High winds from Hurricane Dora caused smoke and flames to blow sideways at 60 miles an hour, forcing people into an ocean with rough surf. Others had little to no warning and didn’t make it out in time.

The building next door to Williams & Associates was completely destroyed.

Sadly, Williams & Associates employee Heather Ganis, her husband and their son lost everything. Williams has started a GoFundMe to help the family get back on their feet.

“Lahaina and Maui will survive, because the ‘ohana,’ or ‘family’ in Hawaiian, is a cultural foundation,” says Williams. “But in the meantime, in addition to physical injury and loss, there’s the mental side that will have to be dealt with. There’s going to be a lot of PTSD and survivor’s guilt. But the aloha spirit will prevail through the power of love and community.”

Trucks just 30 feet from the distributor’s front doors were decimated – the metal got so hot, it melted onto the pavement, says Williams. Nothing was left of the tires but the rims.

Over the next few weeks, Williams and his team will work to determine the best way to help the community in the healing process. “The 35 years we’ve been in Lahaina have been some of the most joyous times of my life,” he says. “The people there are gracious, fun and loving. The spirit of ‘aloha’ is tangible. This situation is immeasurably tragic and complicated, but the people are coming together and the ohana will win in the end.”