The woman reported to authorities that while she was surfing a shark she described as a 10-12-foot-long Galapagos shark bit her board and launched her into the air. She landed on the shark which then bit through her board leash, according to an account detailed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Officials say she was able to get back onto her board and swim to shore without further incident.  

An online petition demanding a delay to the planned reopening of West Maui to tourism on Oct. 8, has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.

The state, in partnership with the nonprofit Project Vision Hawai‘i, has opened Puʻuhonua o Nēnē, a temporary shelter for Maui wildfire survivors who were experiencing homelessness before the disaster. The temporary shelter, located at the corner of Hāna Highway and Mayor Elmer F. Carvalho Way in Kahului opened on Friday, Sept. 29.

“I’m really pleased. From the first photographs I saw it looked like everything was gone and that’s not the case. There are important historic buildings here that I think can be repaired,” said State Historic Preservation Division Administrator Dr. Alan Downer.

“I think that’s a huge consideration that needs to be in place before we open, so everybody knows what to do. I think that’s one of the problems—the one road in and one road out for our schools is systemic in the poor planning decisions which amplified the tragedy of the fires,” said Elizabeth Bowen, a teacher at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Intermediate School.

Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO Nainoa Thompson today announced a major change to the Moananuiākea Voyage sail plan.  In the wake of the devastating fires on Maui, Hōkūleʻa will return home from San Diego, California in late December, before continuing on the circumnavigation of the Pacific.  

The ‘ukulele-powered band Kanekoa, the Vince Esquire Band and Grammy-nominated Natalie Ai Kamauu perform at benefits for Maui wildfire victims this weekend. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

FEMA will be fronting the initial $5.36 million in funding for a temporary campus on 10.2 acres in Honokōwai below the Kapalua Airport. The build time for the temporary site will be around 95 days.

Residents in all but one of the affected homes in Zone 1C of the Maui Wildfire Disaster Area applied for and received vehicle passes to return to their properties Monday on Kaniau Road in Lahaina.

The report shows Maui lost more than $13 million of visitor spending each day in the weeks following the fire. With the planned Oct. 8 reopening of unaffected West Maui resort areas, economists are not anticipating a rush to travel, but a gradual recovery instead.

Governor Josh Green highlighted upcoming important dates involving Maui wildfire survivors as the island transitions from response to recovery. Dates include: Sept. 25 reentry begins; Sept. 26 details to be released surrounding a replacement site for Kamehameha III Elementary; Sept. 29 Safe Harbor ends; and Oct. 8 marks the formal reopening of West Maui.

Kaniau Road in Zone 1C will be the first area to be cleared for residential reentry in the Lahaina disaster area, on Monday and Tuesday next week. A vehicle pass will be required for entry, and applications will be distributed on Friday through Sunday at the Lahaina Civic Center during specified hours.

Chief John Pelletier told the Maui Police Commission the after-action report about the department’s response to the Maui wildfires will be a “dive into what went right, what went wrong and how can we improve. But it is also going to talk about some of the incredible acts that took place.”

Several benefit concerts for Maui wildfire victims are taking place this weekend, including Henry Kapono’s “We Are Friends,” a Maui Jazz and Blues Festival, Jazz Aid and “Rally Around Peace” at the Imua Discovery Gardens. Find our comprehensive listing HERE.

The University of Hawaiʻi is offering full one-year scholarships to every Lahainaluna High School senior to attend any of its 10 campuses.

This brings the total number of victims publicly identified to 74 of the estimated 97 fatalities, which is down from the death toll of 115 that had been reported for more than two weeks.

Maui police revised the death toll of the individuals killed in the Aug. 8 wildfire to 97, down from previous reports of 115; and say the number of individuals unaccounted for has also dropped to 31, down from 66 last week.

The sign was created as a paid partnership between the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center and Manafacture, owners of the Na Koa Brand which also has a store at the mall. The business designed and created the sign, and Artisan Events Maui installed the work. 

To date, more than 320 Maui-residents have registered for the free program that will include certification classes in HAZWOPER, OSHA, CDL, and others. Orientation classes for the first 60 students begins today.

This year’s Maui Invitational will shift to the island of Oʻahu while its traditional home court – the Lahaina Civic Center – continues to serve as a critical hub for Maui wildfire recovery efforts. The 2023 Tournament will take place at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa from Nov. 20 to 22.