In Case You Missed It

Nā ʻOhana o Lele, a coalition of community members in Lahaina, today called on Governor Josh Green to meet three demands for the recovery of the community.

Since the Lahaina fire destroyed much of the Maui town on Aug. 8, Kimberly Buen of California been trying to find her father Maurice Buen, who is among the hundreds of people still “unaccounted for.”

Maui musician Marty Dread’s search for a missing relative of his daughter has a happy ending. He survived, as well as his girlfriend and dog, but they lost everything.

“Going forward, and until further notice, there will be zero tolerance for anyone who trespasses, including residents of the affected area, the news media, and the general public, which could result in a citation or arrest,” police said in a news release. “The area is not safe, and it is disrespectful for anyone to wander around without authorization.”

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that nearly 1,000 federal responders are on the ground in Hawaiʻi to help the state recover from the devastating wildfires. In the days since President Biden declared a major disaster declaration for the state of Hawaiʻi, FEMA has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households including more than $2.3 million in initial rental assistance.

Beginning Saturday, carriers from the Lahaina Main Post Office will resume mail delivery to addresses that are accessible and at which homes and mail receptacles are still standing.

When Lahainaluna High science teacher Jackie Ellis was fleeing deadly Lahaina wildfires last week, she never imagined a chance encounter at a stoplight would mean saving her former student’s life.

The Family Assistance Center is moving from its current location at the Kahului Community Center to the Hyatt Regency’s Monarchy Ballroom, located at 200 Nohea Kai Drive in Kāʻanapali, effective Friday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. FAC services at the Kahului Community Center will end as of 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17.

The hotel housing is being provided through a FEMA program, which the Red Cross is administering under a contract with the state of Hawai‘i, and those impacted by the deadly wildfires will be able to stay in hotels as long as it takes to find long-term housing solutions.

An official statement was released this morning from Hale Mahaolu Eono regarding last Tuesdayʻs wildfire, a timeline of events, and actions taken during the incident.

FEMA recently launched a rumor control and frequently asked questions web page to keep survivors of the Hawaii wildfires aware of rumors and scams, and to help them better understand the federal disaster assistance programs and processes.

“This is an incredibly important tree,” said arborist Steve Nimz of the 150-year-old Lahaina banyan, “…but it’s a tree. We’ve got so many people who lost their lives, lost their families, lost their livelihoods… that’s where the focus should be…. There’s still life under every one of the roots… that’s where our hope is at, and the rest is up to the tree.”

To date, FEMA has provided more than $2.3 million in assistance to more than 1,330 households, including more than $800,000 in initial rental assistance, Hooks said. FEMA wants all survivors to register as soon as possible so that they receive the help they need.

Gov. Green extended an invitation to the President and First Lady after being advised that the search and recovery efforts will have reached a point that a visit can be done safely and in a way that will support the recovery efforts.

Uncle George Kahumoku Jr. has started a GoFundMe account and has raised more than $170,000 to support the slack key ohana and the Maui Food Bank.

In Maui, the Bidens will be welcomed by state and local leaders to see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery effort.

Wildfire updates for Monday Aug. 16 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.

While all three campuses (Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary) sustained wind damage, the overall structure of campus buildings and classrooms are in good condition, according to department administrators.

The Lahaina wildfire, that decimated the old Hawaiian fishing village week ago, has reached a death toll of 106. As of this afternoon, 27-32% of the impacted area has been surveyed and completed, according to estimates from Governor Josh Green and Maui police.

Watch members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue Task Force on the ground in Lāhainā.