The Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was amended to remove area L-6B, including properties primarily along Honoapiʻilani Highway and Ainakea Road, from Wahikuli Road to Kaniau Road. Water serving buildings and homes in area L-6B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective June 12, 2024.

Alongside Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Mayor Richard Bissen on Wednesday afternoon signed into law an approximately $1.263 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The document boosts housing for residents, especially those who were displaced after the 2023 August wildfires, supports wildfire recovery and resiliency, bolsters social service programs and delivers core services.

Nine months after the Lahaina wildfire disaster an estimated 75% remained in temporary housing, according to a report published by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Some of the permanent housing is away from Maui, but the report did not have precise information about those who’ve moved away.

The US Environmental Protection Agency recently completed drinking water sampling in the wildfire-impacted areas of Lahaina, which is a critical step in helping the County of Maui restore drinking water services to the community. 

The Clyde Wakida Scholarship Fund was established through donations from friends and family after the August fire.  This year the Fund awarded five recipients, each receiving $2,000. Recipients were: Carla Mae Agrade, Judy Dela Cruz, Blessy Calapit, Cecelia Steiner and John Tumpap.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.

On Wednesday, Maui United Way announced the seven local-Maui nonprofits who are recipients of their new ʻOhana Mental Health Grant — an effort to meet the ongoing mental health needs in the aftermath of the wildfires. 

Cool Cat Cafe, a beloved local restaurant that was destroyed in the Lahaina fires, announced its grand reopening at a new location in South Maui. The grand reopening will take place on June 15, 2024, at Kukui Mall, located at 1819 S. Kīhei Road. The restaurant will be open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, in the Lahaina Civic Center social hall.

Op-Ed: From fire to fairness: To find solutions to rebuild Maui, we must address tax disparities and land ownership. By Shay and Ian Chan Hodges, Responsible Markets. The path to recovery should include re-evaluating the foundations of our local economy, addressing the concentration of land ownership in non-local hands, and ensuring that any outside owners are actively contributing to — and not just benefitting from — the sustainable rebuilding of Maui County. *****Views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect or represent the opinions, policies or positions of Maui Now.*****  

The Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program is a partnership between Hawai‘i Community Lending and local banks, dedicated to preventing foreclosure and helping 500 Lahaina homeowners rebuild after the wildfire.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and County Department of Planning will hold the Lahaina Town South Neighborhood Planning Workshop for residents of the area from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Lahainaluna High School cafeteria, located at 980 Lahainaluna Road.

Today is the scheduled end date for the Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) program for Maui wildfire survivors. State officials issued assurances saying all families in the NCS program who are actively participating in their recovery efforts will continue to receive support until their transition from sheltering to an interim housing solution.

Maui County Council members set aside concerns about displacing two dozen homeless people from Holomua Road and the possibility of a legal challenge, and they decided Friday to restrict public access to a lower portion of the road and close its upper section.

In response to community concerns regarding increased traffic, noise, safety hazards, and dust pollution, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Hawai‘i are implementing alternate construction routes for the temporary housing projects in Lahaina. These changes aim to mitigate the impact on local residents while ensuring the continued progress of these essential housing projects.

The standards for the County of Maui Alternative Debris Removal Program have been approved by the Maui County Council, and applications for the program are currently being accepted. The application deadline is June 15, 2024, to sign up for either the Alternative Debris Removal Program or to obtain an approved Right-of-Entry for the Government-Sponsored Consolidated Debris Removal, per adopted standards.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will host a series of resume workshops in June, intended to hire residents for long-term positions with FEMA in Maui County.  

A Humanitarian Job Fair for Maui Disaster Relief, offered by Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO) and Employers Options, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, June 13, at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

The Maui wildfires continue to have pronounced impacts on the economic indicators for all counties, but especially Maui County, according to new information compiled by the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. The information was part of the department’s second quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report.

President Joe Biden announced that he has made additional disaster assistance available to the State of Hawai‘i following the Maui fires, increasing the federal cost share for federal assistance to 100% for an additional 90-day period.