San Diego Business Steps Up To Help Maui Wildfire Victims Rebuild

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego business is stepping up to help Maui wildfire victims rebuild.

Software company Pixly specializes in photo and video documentation and collaboration for construction, insurance and real estate. Maui fire victims can use the platform for free.

"Our platform is built to streamline construction documentation and collaboration," Lee Mills, CEO and co-founder of Pixly, told Patch. "All construction projects have a lot of moving parts, and 30 percent have disputes. They have to rebuild the entire town of Lahaina and more. We can help them do it faster, and better, reducing risk and disputes."

Mills said Pixly was designed to save time and money documenting pre-existing conditions and construction project progress through to completion.

Pixly users can snap, tag and share photos and videos with teams on site or in the office in real-time. Photos and videos can be tagged and annotated with comments, markups, tasks, dashboards and PDFs. The platform shortens building timelines and helps reduce costs due to minimizing errors, Mills said.

Pixly will help anyone in Maui get set up quickly in 24 to 48 hours, Mills said.

"The faster all damage can be documented, the faster building estimates can get gone, bidssent, and building started," said Mills, who co-founded Pixly in 2019 in his garage in Encinitas. "Once building starts, we stop the chaos of text and email, and help Maui save precious time and money building."

Mills said Maui has a special place in his heart. He has traveled to the island several times.

He was on the island of Oahu for a wedding when the fires sparked in Maui.

"We had a hard time enjoying ourselves knowing of all the suffering happening on Maui," he said.

"I first went to the islands when I was in the Navy," he recalled. "I almost moved there. I still want to move there to retire ultimately someday. I'm a surfer and nature lover. The islands have energy 'mana' unlike anywhere else, and I feel a kinship to the islands and its people."

At least 115 people have died in the wildfires, with hundreds still missing. The most destructive fire in the town of Lahaina has become the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Also see:

• San Diego Humane Society Sends Help After Devastating Maui Wildfires
  
• San Diego Restaurant Rallies To Support Victims Of Maui Wildfires