Celebrated chef and TV personality Guy Fieri teamed up with the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association, American Savings Bank and Fiserv, Inc., to distribute $600 prepaid debit cards to Lahaina restaurant workers who lost their job when their workplace was destroyed in the tragic wildfires on Aug. 8.

“The impact of the Maui wildfires continues to be felt in November’s figures, but with most of West Maui now reopened to tourism, there is a concerted effort to reinvigorate job opportunities and facilitate the economic recovery of Maui,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka.

Kaleo Manuel, the First Deputy on the state Commission on Water Resource Management is apparently leaving his post after being reassigned following the August wildfires, and then reinstated two months later following an investigation by the Attorney General.

“These devices play a crucial role in facilitating the processing of FEMA paperwork, unemployment claims, insurance matters, as well as aiding in education, housing, and employment searches, accessing support services, and maintaining connections with family and friends,” according to organization leaders.

The petition from a family on Olowalu Village Road says even temporary storage of these substances from the Aug. 8 wildfires “poses great risk of causing irreversible damage to soil, water, air, the ocean and people.”

Effective Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, operational hours will be modified for the Lahaina Disaster Recovery Center. 

Hui O Ka Wai Ola, a community-based water-quality monitoring organization, was awarded funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to increase its collection of West Maui water quality data in response to the Lahaina wildfire.

On Nov. 1, 2023, the final phases of reopening West Maui (except Lahaina) after the Aug. 8 wildfires started, resulting in increased unit night supply and unit night demand in Kā‘anapali, Nāpili and Kapalua when compared to the previous month.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns the public of online classified advertisements that are luring Maui wildfire survivors with false offers of available rental units. “People are learning too late that the cash they paid for a security deposit went to a scammer instead,” according to a FEMA news release.

The nonprofit foundation, For Children to Flourish, is funding and organizing Trilogy Catamaran trips for families impacted by the August wildfire in Lahaina.

Hawaiian Telcom and its employees set a new record for their annual United Way fundraising campaign in the company’s 140 anniversary year, raising more than $210,000 for Hawai‘i’s four United Way organizations: Kaua‘i United Way, Aloha United Way on O‘ahu, Maui United Way and Hawai‘i Island United Way.  Of the total, nearly $40,000 was designated for Maui relief efforts.

United Airlines hosted a Christmas Carnival for the keiki of Lahaina on Maui in December.  This year, the airline brought the festivities to Maui to spread the joy of the holidays to more than 150 keiki and their families.  

More than 100 youth and administrators from three local nonprofits gathered at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center on Dec. 18 as the guests of honor of Ledcor Maui. The festive event was the culmination of a month-long gift drive by Ledcor Maui called Makana no nā Keiki (Gifts for Children), which raised $100,000 for Maui youth. 

The disaster left all the restaurants’ 120 employees without jobs, and at least 60 of them also lost their homes and vehicles. Determined to help their Maui ʻohana, the Corpuels set up a GoFundMe campaign that has since raised over $150,000 in support of employees and their families.

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, County of Maui disaster-related resources will have a modified schedule. 

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Board of Directors has approved an immediate six-month action plan for 2024 to help address major challenges confronting residents, small businesses, visitor industry providers, Maui’s economy, and families seeking housing following the August wildfires.

FEMA will pause operations at the Lahaina Disaster Recovery Center on Maui and the FEMA Helpline on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Maui Relief TANF Program has provided an array of assistance – from housing to clothing – to more than 450 families with children and about 1,700 individuals impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in the two months since the program began.

State and federal responders have completed recovery and removal operations in or adjacent to Lahaina Harbor. The US Army Corps of Engineers will conduct final disposition of fire-damaged vessels and incident-generated debris removed during harbor operations.

In the wake of the challenges posed by the wildfires, Maui Public Art Corps collaborated with students across the region to channel their emotions and reflections into a powerful visual representation of unity and strength. “The result is a vibrant collection of drawings that encapsulate the indomitable spirit of the Maui community,” organizers said.