Firefighters in Maui battled a brush fire burning above Kaanapali, Hawaii, on Monday.
The blaze is just a couple of miles north of where the devastating Lahaina wildfires occurred nearly two years ago.
Mike Zepeda and his family first planned their trip to Hawaii to celebrate his recent retirement as a West Chicago police officer in 2023.
However, that trip took a turn when they were left stranded amid the deadly Lahaina wildfire.
Now, two years later, Zepeda and his family made it to Hawaii again, only to face another scary situation.
"I felt so bad for the first time we tried to get out here," he said. "We felt so bad back then we tried to help."
Zepeda said a brush fire near their hotel forced them to evacuate.
He said the smoke was so thick, they had to place towels on their face to help them to breathe.
Zepeda explained the quick emergency response from local authorities and the prompt alerts from the hotel.
When asked if they would try to get back home, he said: "We are sticking around."
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ABC News contributed to this report.