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Tennessee native loses everything in Hawaii fire right before her baby is due

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Posted at 6:49 PM, Aug 16, 2023
and last updated 2023-08-16 23:30:08-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tasha Anderson knows loss after her family no longer has a home, her engagement ring and boat after wildfires swept through Hawaii.

The death toll there now stands at 106. Rescue crews continue to fight the wildfires, and search for any survivors.

Among those who made it out safely is Anderson, who grew up in Manchester.

Her home in Lahaina burned to the ground in a matter of minutes, along with really everything she and her fiancé, Kevin, owned. To make things even harder, they're expecting a little boy in just a couple of weeks.

The couple says those wildfires spread in an instant. They had no warning — no sirens, no alerts, no nothing.

Kevin says they were having a movie night when he saws those flames and knew that they had to get out of there. They returned a few days later to find everything — including all the things they bought for their soon-to-be son — burned to ash.

"Having a baby in general is hard," Anderson said. "We don’t know what to expect. So adding this element seems unreal honestly. We spent so much time creating this perfect space for him to come home to and knowing that's not going to happen anymore is heartbreaking."

The couple says they've bounced around place-to-place this week and have finally found a rental in Kihei where they'll stay until their child is born.

For those who want to help, Kevin and Tasha have a GoFundMe set up to help piece their lives back together.


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