Man records Maui destruction, comes across historic Banyan tree still standing

MAUI, Hawaii (KGO) -- We are getting a first hand look at the damage on Maui from those who have lived there for many years.

Emerson Timmins has lived on Maui for 18 years. Wednesday, the roads were closed and Timmins was not with his family, so he got on a bicycle and rode through the burn area to get to them. He soon realized what he was witnessing was unlike anything he had ever seen. This is his story in his own words:

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"If you know island life we're all kind of one big family so it hurts, it hurts to see everyone suffering like this.

I was doing a tennis lesson in the morning at the Hyatt. I couldn't leave because the roads were closed.

I absconded my friend's bike and I had to get back to my family because there are fires breaking out elsewhere.

This is downtown front street.

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I sort of had a mission impossible, you're not really supposed to go through the town, the roadblocks, and I'm like, I just got to get to my family so I went along the ocean and went through Lahaina town and then I realized the importance of documenting everything at that point.

Here's all the restaurants, everything used to be here, it is no more, the harbor, walkway, and what used to be.

The cars that had gotten backed up on the road there. The reason that they were there is that they were trying to get out. They were trying to escape that fire but all the cars got trapped and all the people were stuck in those cars and they had to run for their lives and not everyone could make it.

There's just so much sadness and so much loss and it's profound for me because I've lived here for so long.

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I'm only hoping that the Banyan tree made it.

I'm going to stop right here, this is where the Banyan tree is.

I did drive by there and the leaves are burnt but the tree looks actually pretty good personally. I think the tree is going to make it.

I don't know the bright part in the whole story - I guess that our monumental Banyan will still be there, but nothing else.

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Of course my bike got a flat and I had to walk the rest of the way. Fortunately, I got a ride about halfway there, someone picked me up and gave me a ride home, but I was lucky to get out of there.

These people didn't have time. They said, hey there is a fire, run.

They don't have anything, they're out on the street right now, and that is just saddening to the core."

Timmins is now safe and at home with his family. His father lived in a home on Front Street in Lahaina in the 1960s and Emerson tells us that was destroyed in the fire. Timmins has started a Pray for Maui nonprofit with a GoFundMe page. He is hoping to raise money to help those who lost everything. You can find that page here.

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