Maui year in review: Top stories of 2024

Wildfire recovery, the cancellation of the Maui Fair, housing solutions, and election highlights are among the stories that made our list of top features this year. Here’s a recap of some of Maui’s biggest stories in 2024.

Catastrophic Lahaina wildfire ruled ‘accidental’

Sparks from a broken overhead power line ignited unmaintained vegetation off of Lahainaluna Road on the morning of Aug. 8, 2023, and that led to a chain of events that leveled Lahaina town and killed at least 102 people, according to an official origin-and-cause report. The fire’s cause was officially determined to be “accidental.” The much-anticipated, origin-and-cause report was released by the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety, with the assistance of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

AG releases timeline of Lahaina wildfire; First 90 minutes of response detailed

A comprehensive timeline for the Aug. 8-9 Lahaina wildfire was released by Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez. The Phase 1 report was the first of three to be completed as part of an independent investigation by the Fire Safety Research Institute.

A minute-by-minute timeline assembled by fire investigators provides a chilling, detailed account of how a grassland fire reported at 2:55 p.m. Aug. 8, mauka of the Lahaina Bypass and Kelawea Mauka Makai Park, rapidly grew into a monster, devouring everything in its path. The story of the afternoon Lahaina fire’s first 90 minutes is told through transcripts of emergency dispatch transmissions and body cameras from police directing traffic and evacuating civilians, radio exchanges of firefighters responding to fire scenes and official text messages.

Maui Fair Alliance cancels 98th Maui Fair in 2024, announces intent to dissolve

In April, the Maui Fair Alliance announced that it will not organize or hold a Maui Fair in 2024, and will be taking steps to dissolve after years of dedicated service to the Maui community. The Maui Fair was last held in October 2019 several months before Hawaiʻi’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the islands.

First emergency permit issued for Lahaina rebuilding after wildfire disaster

The first permit for rebuilding a Lahaina residence destroyed in the Aug. 8 wildfire disaster was issued in May. Maui County identified the homeowners as longtime West Maui residents Rich and Kari Alexander, who will rebuild their home on Komo Mai Street. The building permit brought tears to the eyes of Kari Alexander.

First home rebuild in Lahaina impact zone gets walls and foundation

Walls at the future home of Gene Milne stood in June as a visual reminder of the hope that exists among those wanting to return to their beloved neighborhoods. It marked the first home to be rebuilt in the Lahaina impact zone. “I was in complete denial that the fire would ever get to my home,” said Milne who was in the process of building his home on Malanai Street when the Aug. 8 fire tore through the neighborhood.

Home of longtime Lahaina family is first to finish rebuilding after being destroyed in last year’s fire

(Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative) Mau Ah Hee can’t even remember what he did for Thanksgiving last year after the August 2023 wildfire burned down his home and much of Lahaina town. But he likely won’t forget this year’s celebration, surrounded by loved ones in his family’s newly built home that is the first to be completed in the Lahaina burn zone.

Ke Ao Maluhia at Maui Lani welcomes first family of residents with keys; Marks milestone for wildfire survivors

A family of four from Lahaina received keys to the very first home at the new Ke Ao Maluhia development at Maui Lani in Kahului in April. The development serves as interim housing for Maui wildfire survivors. Located near the intersection of Pu‘umakani and Kea St., the project is a collaborative effort between the state of Hawai‘i, Maui County, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, FEMA, and the American Red Cross. The Fraser family—including mom, dad and two keiki (1 and 3 years old)—moved nine times over nine months following the loss of their home in the Lahaina wildfire.

First family moves into FEMA’s Kilohana Group Housing

The Folaumoeloa family became the first tenants of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Kilohana Group Housing in November, a long-awaited milestone for Ane, Lafaele and their three children. It marked the end of a nearly 15-month wait since the wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023, destroyed their Lahaina home, along with about 4,000 housing units. After months of uncertainty, a traditional blessing ceremony welcomed the family of wildfire survivors into a three-bedroom modular unit.

Ka Laʻi Ola housing project launches with groundbreaking

The state of Hawai‘i and its partners broke ground and held a Hawaiian blessing ceremony for Ka Laʻi Ola, a 450-unit temporary housing project in Lahaina to help displaced wildfire survivors who are ineligible for housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

TY Management Corporation broke ground on its Kapalua Village Temporary Housing Project for Kapalua Golf employees on Feb. 19. This project signified one of the first privately funded temporary housing projects on Maui to assist individuals and families impacted by the Maui wildfires.

The first two completed homes under the Housing for Healthcare initiative were blessed in a private ceremony held with the two new tenants and their families, both Maui healthcare professionals who lost their homes and belongings in the devastating Lahaina fires last year. The families moved into their homes in November.

Kula residents take charge as federal cleanup leaves burned trees and debris behind

Kyle Ellison brushed some of the dust off his flannel. “Kula is not clean,” he said through a microphone at a Kula Disaster Community Update Meeting on Jan. 23.  Ellison, 39, found himself thrust into the Kula disaster relief effort, trailblazing a community-led cleanup and response effort from week one.

Council Budget Committee hears the pain of Lahaina wildfire survivors

Eight months to the day after a wildfire swept through Lahaina town, Maui County Council members heard the anguish of residents struggling to rebuild their lives after the disaster that claimed at least 101 lives and leveled their beloved historic town. Lahaina resident Mike Whitehead told Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee members that he can’t stop thinking about the number of people who died and how evacuation efforts fell short after water ran out of firefighters’ fire hoses.

Congressional committee hears stories of wildfire aftermath

Members of the US House Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, including Hawaiʻi US Reps. Jill Tokuda and Ed Case, heard an update on last year’s deadly wildfires during a hearing at the Lahaina Civic Center.

How the wildfire flashed over the iconic Lahaina Banyan Tree

Despite devastation around it, the 60-foot-high tree survived, enduring into its 151st year this past April. Its leaves browned and curled in the immediate aftermath of the fire. Yet today the tree stubbornly sends out its lush green leaves in silence, a reminder that the eerily quiet ghost town remains off-limits to the general public almost a year after the disaster.

Lahaina Paddle Out: A one-year commemoration of lives lost in wildfire disaster

Land Board rejects plea for contested case hearing from Nakoa luxury yacht owners

The Board of Land and Natural Resources has rejected a request from the owners of the luxury yacht Nakoa for a formal contested case hearing to fight a $1.8 million fine assessed.

Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative: Lahaina’s recovery plan calls for measures to improve emergency response

When an investigation by a fire research firm found “no evidence” that Hawai’i officials had prepared for last year’s devastating wildfires on Maui despite days of weather warnings, Attorney General Anne Lopez said it was a “wake-up call.” Maui County has not talked much publicly about the shortcomings of its preparation, with many lawsuits in the works after the death of at least 102 people and billions in property damage. But its newly released long-term recovery plan for Lahaina calls for several measures that would improve its emergency response, including in areas of staffing, technology, communication and evacuation routes. 

Merrie Monarch results 2024: Oʻahu hālau wins overall; Maui hālau earn honors with many paying tribute to Lahaina

Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha‘eha‘e under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Tracie and Keawe Lopes of Oʻahu took the overall title at the 61st Annual Merrie Monarch Festival, in Hilo Hawaiʻi. Their soloist, Kaʻōnohikaumakaakeawe Kananiokeakua Holokai Lopes was named Miss Aloha Hula 2024. From Maui, the men of Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi took third place overall in the kāne divisions, and the women of Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka placed in wahine kahiko. The halau soloist, Amedée Kauakohemālamalama Conley-Kapoi was the first runner up in the Miss Aloha Hula competition.  

Hoʻōla Maui reaches milestone in the cleanup of Lahaina

In January of 2024, Hoʻōla Maui, a coalition of Native Hawaiian Organizations, along with other Hawaiʻi businesses and organizations collaborated to ensure the clean-up of the burn zones on Maui is efficient and thorough for the affected community. The partners reached a milestone in the cleanup of Lahaina at the beginning of the year with the following accomplishments: 1,481 Tax Map Keys (TMKs) Fully Assessed; 168 Tons of Household Hazardous Materials (HHM) and Bulk Asbestos Material (BAM) Removed; 6,371 Samples Taken; 3,430 Vehicles Located; and 6,241 Trees Assessed with 202 Trees Marked as Protected and 4,678 Trees Tagged.

“Tail up”: Kayaker films rare behavior displayed by whale during Lahaina Unity Walk

During the the Lele Aloha Hoʻūlu Lahaina Unity Walk in January, Naia and Francis Koole had been on the ocean from sunrise to sunset, observing marine life. While thousands on land made the trek, some in the water kayaking, stand-up paddling and canoeing made their way to Launiupoko for support and healing.  After paddling miles and hours on the ocean, Naia and Francis ended up off the shore of Launiupoko, and there it was: a humpback mother whale “tail sailing” beside her calf.

Mixed feelings: Old Lahaina Lūʻau employees make new memories as it reopens

Sitting at the edge of scorched Lahaina Town and makai of the Lahaina Cannery Mall, the Old Lahaina Lūʻau reopened to tourism in March of 2024 for the first time since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire. The return was a heavy occasion for employees and spectators alike.

Lahaina Cannery reopens 7 months after August wildfires

After a seven month closure following the August wildfires, Lahaina Cannery reopened its doors to Maui residents and visitors on March 18, 2024. Some neighboring businesses at the center including Safeway and Longs Drugs had been open since Sept. 13, 2023, to help serve the community’s needs in the aftermath of the fire.

Killing Fields survivor struggles to ‘just hang on’ more than a year after Maui wildfires

Lahaina Aquatic Center reopens after more than a year

After being closed following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire, the Lahaina Aquatic Center reopened to dozens of swimmers Saturday, Oct. 11. The reopening followed the large-scale cleanup of debris and ash from the County of Maui facility, including its eight-lane, 50-meter by 25-yard competition pool.

Mayor Bissen announces bill to phase out vacation rentals in apartment districts

Thousands of short-term vacation rental apartments could begin switching to long-term housing for residents as early as July 1, 2025, for West Maui, and Jan. 1, 2026, for the rest of Maui County in a proposed measure announced by Mayor Richard Bissen.

Just as Maui County seeks to phase out transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts, the European city of Barcelona, Spain, imposed some of the most restrictive vacation rental rules on the planet, according to the World’s Best Cities Report 2024.

Maui housing prices reach all-time high in September

The median price of a single-family home came in at more than $1.4 million in September — an all-time high, according to the Realtors Association of Maui. Condo sales then began stalling out after Bissen announced a phase out of vacation rentals in apartment districts. The median price of a single-family home on Maui was $1.3 million in November, according to a monthly statistical report by the Realtors Association of Maui. That’s $100,000 short of the all-time, $1.4 million record set in September of this year.

‘Ohana Assistance Pilot Project launches

The ‘Ohana Assistance Pilot Project launched in July to provide grants of up to $100,000 to Maui County homeowners toward the cost of design and construction of attached or detached ʻohana units. “This program will help to increase the supply of much-needed housing for our residents,” said Mayor Richard Bissen. “We hope this will encourage and enable our resident homeowners to provide housing for fellow residents in need.”

Maui rent stabilization stopped before it’s started

Even before a bill’s drafted to rein in Maui’s runaway long-term rental increases, the chair of the Maui County Council’s Housing and Land Use Committee said she’s not considering any legislation that regulates rent. In remarks, committee Chair Tasha Kama said she had been asked about preparing rent control legislation after panel members heard extensive public testimony, mostly in favor of rent relief, on Sept. 16.

Maui couple soaks in Emmy wins for FX series Shōgun

The popular new FX “Shōgun” limited series has quickly gained a following after its launch. The 10-episode nine-week run became the No. 1 general entertainment series premiere, globally, for Disney, and FX’s biggest premiere ever on Hulu, according to FX Networks.  The co-creators—Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks—are residents of Maui.

Just 10 days after their glitzy, record-setting night at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, married couple Kondo and Marks were happy to be back home in Ha‘ikū with their young kids to let it all sink in. The Hawaii Journalism Initiative caught up with the couple upon their return.

Beloved veteran from Hāna honored on Vietnam memorial after extraordinary efforts by survived family

Captain Lawrence “Larry” Robert Oliveira was one of the three names added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in 2020. His name was added to the memorial’s replica just in time for its first-ever visit to Maui earlier this year. It was a special moment for the family, who was born and raised in Hāna. Oliveira was omitted from the original inscriptions of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., because, when the wall was erected in 1982, eight years after his death, the criteria was that the names were added only if the veteran died in Vietnam. The late Capt. Oliveira didn’t get killed in Vietnam, but died as a result of war wounds four years after being sent home to Hawaiʻi.

Hāna groups advise against visiting Waiʻoka and Kaihalulu

The group Hoʻomakaukau Maui Hikina – “East Maui Ready” Leadership is issuing a standing advisory requesting that both Waiʻoka and Kaihalulu areas of East Maui be avoided when looking for recreational spots to visit.

Judge ruling permits release of incompatible mosquitoes to control avian malaria in East Maui

In February, a judge granted summary judgment in favor of the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the American Bird Conservancy, thwarting efforts by an advocacy group to restrain the use of the Incompatible Insect Technique to control mosquito born avian malaria in East Maui. According to state officials, avian malaria has contributed to the extinction of native bird species and is the primary cause of extinction of many species of the ʻakikiki, or Hawaiian honeycreepers. The implementation of the IIT aims to reduce mosquito populations by releasing incompatible male mosquitoes to mate with existing ones.

Home Maid Bakery closes Lower Main Street location

Home Maid Bakery officially shut down wholesale operations and its Lower Main Street location in Wailuku, effective April 29, the Kozuki family announced on social media.

2024 Hawai’i General Election Results

The state Office of Elections released the final results of the 2024 elections for Hawaiʻi voters. The final printout was posted by the State Office of Elections at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 after voters had a chance to cure deficiencies with their ballot envelopes.  The slim margin in the South Maui Council race narrowed from 117 votes after the third printout to 97 votes in the final summary report, with incumbent Tom Cook defeating Kelly Takaya King. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Cook and against an election challenge by King.

The unprecedented circumnavigation of Maui

John Kalemakali’i Clark has been in salt water so often that his tastebuds have nearly burnt off. “The water to the north, just along that north coast, is very salty. Come down south, it’s a little less salty,” Clark noticed, though unsure if his lips had been fooling him. Technically speaking, Clark might be one of only four people to ‘taste’ all of Maui’s ocean water, as he and 13 more swimmers attempted a brave circumnavigation around the island of Maui.

61-year-old man bit by shark at Waiehu, Maui

Maui emergency crews responded to a report of a shark attack incident in the area known as “Sand Piles” at Waiehu on Maui at around 7:05 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. The 61-year-old male patient was surfing when the incident occurred. He was transported in critical condition to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room with injuries to his leg, which was severed below the knee.

Longest predator-exclusion fence in the nation under construction at Maui’s Kanahā Pond

The new 14,785 foot predator-exclusion fence under construction at Maui’s Kanahā Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, will be the longest of its kind the nation when complete. Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC is installing the fence for the Department of Land Natural Resources at the wetland sanctuary.

$53M Maui Airport Industrial Center breaks ground

R.D. Olson Development held a groundbreaking recently of the Maui Airport Industrial Center project, located on a 6.3 acre parcel in Kahului near Costco at 250 Lauo Loop. 

Council gives green light for Haggai Institute purchase

In March, the state announced the acquisition of the Haggai Institute for affordable and wildfire survivor housing. The newly renamed Hale ʻO Lāʻie has 175 guest rooms. The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. said the property’s two wings will initially operate as temporary housing for certain individuals and families displaced by the August 2023 wildfires. 

Water director: Maui County does not have water for Pulelehua housing development

The long planned Pulelehua development was seen as a scarce opportunity to provide desperately needed housing for Lahaina residents displaced by the August wildfires, but in May, Department of Water Supply Director John Stufflebean said that the county’s West Maui water system is unable to serve the development. The County Council had committed millions in Affordable Housing Funds for the project.

Alaska Airlines merger with Hawaiian Airlines

The US Department of Transportation gave Alaska Airlines permission to close on its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, after the carriers agreed to maintain key Hawaiʻi routes and adopt consumer protections. This exemption allows the carriers, which are respectively the fifth and 10th largest domestic airlines, to finalize their merger while maintaining separate operations until DOT rules on their transfer application.

New ‘robust’ Hawaiian-Alaska airlines flies aircraft too big for Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi: While the combined airlines’ air routes give Hawaiʻi residents three times more travel options and ongoing inter-island service at current levels, this new “robust” air service will not, at least for the foreseeable future, include renewing direct air service to Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kapalua or establishing air service to Hāna, said Joe Sprague, Hawaiian Airlines chief executive officer, who spoke online with Neighbor Island journalists.

Rezoning for Queen Kaʻahumanu Center clears path forward

The representative of the owner of Queen Kaʻahumanu Center is lauding the Maui County Council’s approval of rezoning for the Kahului complex that has struggled in recent years with the decline of brick-and-mortar shopping malls. On Aug. 27, the County Council approved on second-and-final reading measures that provide for a Wailuku-Kahului Community Plan amendment for 6.75 acres and a change of zoning from M-2 Heavy Industrial District to B-3 Central Business District for 33.8 acres for the Queen Kaʻahumanu Community Center revitalization and infill project.

$4M agreement for additional Maui landfill space to support wildfire debris disposal and future needs

The Maui County Council has approved the Bissen administration’s proposed acquisition of 79 acres for a permanent wildfire debris and ash disposal site and Central Maui Landfill expansion. Until now, Lahaina wildfire debris and ash have been trucked to a temporary disposal site at Olowalu. The County will purchase approximately 49 acres of previously quarried land and 30 acres of land currently being quarried adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill. Maui County abandoned its eminent domain case for a earlier proposal to acquire 20-acres next to the Central Maui Landfill as a final disposal site for wildfire debris from Komar Maui Properties.

Acquisition of wildfire-demolished Front Street Apartments

The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corp. Board of Directors approved last month a proposed public acquisition of the Front Street Apartments destroyed in the Aug. 8-9, 2023, Lahaina wildfire disaster, although there was some uncertainty about rebuilding in the burn zone. The redeveloped property could have as many as 200 rental units, priced for residents earning up to 140% of the area median income. If the deal goes through as planned, the state would purchase property located at 1050 Front St. and Front Street Apartments Subdivision Lots 2 and 3 for $856,200 cash at closing from Weinberg Foundation entities.

New Kahului Transit Center Opens after delays

The Maui Bus Kahului Transit Center opened on Nov. 20, following the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the facility on Oct. 10, the County of Maui Department of Transportation announced. The announcement comes more than three years after it broke ground in February 2021, and reported delays in project completion. The opening came after the facility remained vacant for several months, without a clear explanation why.

Maui man confirmed as record holder: 72 foot wave at Peʻahi “Jaws” is the largest wave ever kitesurfed

Guinness has confirmed that Maui kitesurfer, Patri McLaughlin has broken the world record for the largest wave ever kitesurfed.  The feat was actually accomplished on Jan. 22, 2023 at the famed Peʻahi “Jaws” surf break, on a wave that was measured at 72 feet 4 inches (22.5 M). The previous record was set in Portugal in 2018 for a 62 foot wave.  The International Kitesurfing Association officially measured and certified the wave, and Guinness approved the new record on Jan. 22, 2024, a year to the day after McLaughlin conquered the wave.

‘Appalling’ Maui case of a purloined pet pig, Eddie

Thieves stole “Eddie,” a well-fed and beloved domesticated pig, from a Haʻikū animal sanctuary on May 11, according to a post by Sarah Haynes, operator of the Kitty Charm Farm. She said the criminals faked an Instagram video of themselves “hunting” it, then killed and gutted it. Before long, they entered the 250-pound deceased animal into a Makawao feral pig hunting contest, winning first place and $1,000 cash prize, according to Haynes’ social media posts.

Kobayashi case reclassified as a ‘voluntary’ missing person

The 30-year-old Maui woman who went missing during a layover in Los Angeles in November, left voluntarily, according to police. The determination was made after video surveillance surfaced of Hannah Kobayashi crossing the US border into Mexico on foot. Later, in December, her family released a statement saying she had been found safe.