Open house on Olowalu Temporary Debris Storage restoration plan to be held Sept. 20

Information on restoration plans for the Olowalu site used for temporary storage of wildfire debris will be shared at an open house on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Lahaina Resource Center.

As the transfer of Lahaina wildfire debris nears completion, the US Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing plans for the closure and restoration of the Temporary Debris Storage site.

As of Friday, the USACE reported that approximately 80% of the 400,000 tons of wildfire debris stored at the TDS has been moved to the Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui since operations began on June 16, 2025. The TDS operation will transition to the closure and restoration phase once all the debris has been transported.

“We thank the community for their continued support as we transition to the closure and restoration of the TDS. Safety has been our highest priority throughout this operation, and we’re committed to restoring the Olowalu site in a responsible manner,” said Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Biggerstaff, Commander, Honolulu District.

The hauling of wildfire debris has been a coordinated effort between the USACE, the County of Maui, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and State of Hawai‘i Department of Health and Department of Transportation.

USACE officials will be participating in the open house, with the opportunity for attendees to speak with officials and ask questions regarding the restoration. The public is invited to drop in at any time during the open house. Information to be shared at the open house will include details on removal of infrastructure as well as restoration work that will restore the site.

“As we approach the final phase of debris removal, our focus now turns to restoring the Olowalu site in a way that respects both the land and the community,” said Mayor Richard Bissen. “We are grateful to FEMA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and all our partners for their diligence and care throughout this process, and we look forward to discussing next steps with our community at the upcoming open house.”

The Lahaina Resource Center is located at Lahaina Gateway, 325 Keawe St., in Suite B102 (near Ace Hardware). For more information on the Lahaina wildfire debris transfer and debris containment, visit https://www.mauirecovers.org.