Blessing held for first Kula home to be rebuilt following 2023 wildfires

The first home to be rebuilt in Kula after the August 2023 wildfires was commemorated on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, with a blessing, representing another step forward in recovery after the fires.  After all final inspections were completed last week, homeowner Thomas Liu, 83, said he will be moving out of a rental and into the completed two-bedroom, 860-square-foot cottage this month while work continues to rebuild the main house on his Kulalani Drive property. 

During the blessing, Liu said that his rebuild isn’t a reflection of any one person; instead, it represents the efforts of the Upcountry community coming together.  

“It’s not a time to celebrate any individual milestone, but rather a symbol of signs of the beginning of a devastated community’s long-awaited recovery,” Liu said to neighbors, contractors, volunteers and friends. “Aug. 8, 2023, until today – it’s been 15 months. We went through hell together. I only survived because of the love, generosity, kindness, support of family, friends, strangers and federal and local government.” 

When asked for advice for other property owners seeking to rebuild after the fire, Liu said to be “persistent” and “patient.” 

“There are so many different things,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to organize.” 

Mayor Richard Bissen was at the Kulalani Drive home Tuesday afternoon to congratulate Liu before a blessing by Kumu Kaponoʻai Molitau, director of the County Office of ʻŌiwi Resources.  

“This is another significant sign of progress in our recovery,” Mayor Bissen said in a county news release. “The spirit of resiliency of our Upcountry residents is evident today with yet another completed home following the tragic fires last year. With the help of many hands, including our federal and community partners, residents are proving that dedication and commitment can lead to accomplishment that exceeds our expectations.” 

Liu was one of the first property owners to go through the debris removal process, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency assigned to the US Army Corps of Engineers to execute. His applications for building permits were submitted before the County of Maui opened its Recovery Permit Center under its emergency building permit process. The Recovery Permit Center issued the building permit for Liu in June, the same month construction started. Final inspections were completed through the Recovery Permit Center. 

The blessing of the first rebuilt Kula home followed a blessing last week of the first home to be rebuilt in the Lahaina Disaster Area. Longtime Lahaina residents Mau and Ariel Ah Hee and their two young sons are moving into their home on Komo Mai Street before Thanksgiving, sooner than the family expected. 

Twenty-six properties in Kula were impacted by the 2023 wildfires. As of Tuesday, the Recovery Permit Center had issued four building permits in Kula. Another nine permits are being reviewed. 

The rebuilding is being done under the County of Maui’s emergency building permit process, which was enacted on March 11, 2024, through Ordinance 5629. The emergency building permit process is administered by the Development Services Administration (DSA) under the County Department of Public Works. DSA contracted with 4Leaf Inc. to operate the emergency building permit process and the County’s two Recovery Permit Centers, the first of which opened in Kahului on April 29, 2024. DSA led the coordination with County and State permitting agencies to organize and streamline permit requirements and procedures to enable the successful implementation of the emergency building permit process.