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Forecasters are tracking two systems: Tropical Storm Greg in the Central North Pacific; and Hurricane Fernanda in the Eastern North Pacific.

The start of the fall semester at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College will be delayed a week because of the devastating impact of the deadly wildfires, according to an announcement by UH Maui Chancellor Lui Hokoana. The semester was scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 21, and will now begin on Monday, Aug. 28, for UH Maui College. The start of the fall semester for UHʻs other nine campuses will remain on Aug. 21, as scheduled.

Maui Economic Opportunity buses will offer transports – at no cost to riders – for medical appointments for those impacted by the fires and sheltering at the South Maui Community Park Gymnasium and Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

Less than a week after the deadly wildfires wreaked devastation in Lahaina and Kula, about 200 University of Hawaiʻi Maui College faculty and staff attended the fall 2023 convocation at the Kahului campus on August 14. The gathering also included the Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi education centers via Zoom.

As a community service to aid those affected by the wildfires, the Hawaii State Bar Association is hosting a FREE legal hotline to provide legal assistance to the residents of Maui and the Big Island and any others adversely affected.

Wiwoʻole in native Hawaiian means ‘fearless, brave, bold, and courageous.’ In this historic occurrence of unprecedented and catastrophic loss, the unifying and healing power of mele (music) has summoned Maui’s celebrated recording artists and hālau to gather for the Wiwoʻole Maui Benefit Concert (Livestream) on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023 live-streamed from Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort. 

Sugimura holds the council seat for the Upcountry area, which saw heavy damage from Maui’s ongoing wildfires. While West Maui saw the brunt of damage and all loss of life was tied to Lahaina, Upcountry is seeing its share of damage to property amid ongoing wildfire suppression efforts.

Monday morning a caravan of nurse practitioners, mental health counselors, a psychiatrist and dedicated volunteers arrived in West Maui to support residents in-need from the Lahaina fire.

ABC News’ “Good Morning America” announced today “Maui Strong,” a special initiative spotlighting the Maui community with a call to action to raise funds for their recovery efforts following the recent deadly wildfires.

Dr. Lisa M. Labrecque, DVM, said in a news conference Monday that there is an estimated 3,000 lost animals due to the Maui fires.

“I’ve reached out to the Attorney General to explore options to do a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed,” said Governor Green. “Moreover, I would caution people that it’s going to be a very long time, before any growth, or housing can be built. And so, you would be pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here.”

The devastating Lahaina wildfire consumed two homes at the Villages of Leialiʻi homestead, which consists of 104 residential lots.  They were among the 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed in the Lahaina wildfire.

Wildfire updates for Monday Aug. 15 are posted: HERE. Recovery efforts continue on Maui where wildfires decimated the Historic Lahaina Town in West Maui, leaving a path of destruction spanning nearly 3.5 square miles. The fires were driven by hurricane force winds with 80 mph gusts as system Dora passed well south of the Hawaiian Islands on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The largest fires in Kula and Lahaina are still active burn areas where firefighting efforts continue. The wildfire is described as the nation’s deadliest in a 100 years.

All non-essential travel to West Maui (including Lahaina, Nāpili, Kāʻanapali, and Kapalua) is strongly discouraged through the month of August, Gov. Josh Green said in his latest emergency proclamation.

The names of people who died in the Lahaina fire are now beginning to become public by their family members.

A coordinated effort between the state and Maui organizations and nonprofits will begin collecting, storing and inventorying supplies donated to Maui County to support victims of the wildfires in Kula and Lahaina.

UH Foundation has set up several funds to benefit students, faculty and staff, and another to support the meals being made at Maui College for evacuees and first responders.

Serving Hawai‘i for over 75 years, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i has provided aid to local residents of all faiths and cultures in previous disasters such as Hurricane Iniki, the recent Kīlauea eruptions, and the COVID-19 pandemic. “We will be there again during this time of great need,” said CEO and president Rob Van Tassell.

Just eight days before the wildfires on Maui struck, the dollar limits on federal disaster assistance loans to repair and replace primary homes and to reimburse for the destroyed contents of homes, personal effects and cars — including those of renters — was dramatically increased.

Tropical Storm Greg will pass well south of the Hawaiian Islands, just like Category 4 Hurricane Dora did, but Greg will not bring conditions conducive for wildfires or hamper Maui recovery efforts.