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For Maui residents seeking employment, the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative is offering free job training through the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and other online programs through the UH Community College System.

Doctors On Call Urgent Care and Testing Center reopened on Aug. 28 at the Times Market Plaza in North Kaʻanapali/Honokōwai.

The funds allow the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide people with temporary jobs focused on cleaning up debris and repairing damage caused by the fires, and providing humanitarian assistance to the wildfire survivors.

While West Maui and fire-affected parts of Kula remain no place for visitors — with teams still searching for remains from the Lahaina fire and the recovery in the early stages — the rest of the island was unharmed by the fires but now is reeling from the abrupt loss of tourists that is causing people to lose their jobs and businesses to struggle.

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 28 are posted HERE. The number of confirmed fatalities has remained at 115 for several days with 43 people publicly identified by police. 

The company outlined a list of factors related to the Aug. 8, 2023 events, saying that at around 3 p.m., “power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours” when a second fire in the afternoon began in the same area—in a field near Lahaina Intermediate School.

The people of Lahaina and the rest of Maui were on the forefront of everyone’s minds as Hōkūleʻa symbolizes hope and resilience to many of the Native Hawaiian community who were present at the welcome event.  In honor of Lahaina, crew members wore red Hōkūleʻa shirts and red ceremonial kihei. They also hung special pink feather lei hulu at the top of the mast.  The crew also placed over Hōkūleʻaʻs canvas, a “Lahaina Strong” banner  created by members of Seattleʻs Native Hawaiian community.

Maui police have identified 43 individuals publicly following notification of next of kin, including three additional individuals on Sunday afternoon. The names of victims of the Maui wildfire disaster released today include: David Nuesca Jr., 59, of Lahaina; Poomaikai Losano, 28, of Lahaina; and Carolyn Ono, 73, of Lahaina.

A 21-year-old Kahului man died of gunshot wounds he reportedly sustained in an altercation reported early Sunday morning in North Kīhei. Medic personnel reported the victim was left at the Medic 3 station on South Kīhei Road by a group of unknown males. A preliminary investigation reveals a group of unknown individuals were congregated north of the Medic 3 location at Uwapo Road when a physical altercation escalated, leading to two gunshots being discharged.

Central Pacific Bank announced the Lahaina Branch will reopen to serve the West Maui community on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. The branch, which has been closed since Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, will provide a full range of business and personal banking services when it reopens on Monday.

The Federal Communications Commission has temporarily waived certain eligibility rules to ensure that people receiving federal disaster assistance due to the Maui fires can easily apply for and enroll in Lifeline, a federal program that helps lower the cost of phone and internet service for those in need.

Maui Fire Department and responders from other agencies welcomed home the department member who was injured on Aug. 8, fighting the fire in Lahaina. He had spent the last two weeks in the hospital on Oʻahu.

Nearly 100 people paddled out Saturday at Cove Park in Kīhei to honor the memories of the victims of the Lahaina fire. The event was the first of several planned on Maui in the coming days.

Maui County officials permitted the Maui Humane Society to access the Lahaina burn zone on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 26, in a coordinated search and rescue effort to find live animals.

The three firms filed a lawsuit on Aug. 17 alleging that the fire started when the electrical infrastructure and power lines came into contact with vegetation.

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is asking for support from the community as the nonprofit continues to work with partner agencies on Maui to protect vulnerable ecosystems.

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 27 are posted HERE. To date, 11,010 FEMA assistance registrations have been received, with some $14.6 million in federal housing and individual assistance provided.

Teenager Chanel Higa knows what it is like to lose everything, and be supported, so ever since she has been giving back and now has started “Give Aloha” for Maui fire survivors.

South Kīhei Road is closed from Uwapo Road to Leilani Road. The area north of Uwapo to Kīhei is now open. The area south of Uwapo, remains closed. Police closed the area due to an investigation into a possible shooting. The initial closure went into effect at 4:40 a.m., on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023.

Various local volunteers help community in Lahaina after fire disaster.