More than $1.6 billion in CDBG-DR funding was appropriated by Congress to support recovery efforts stemming from the 2023 Maui wildfires. The funding will be provided to the County of Maui through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A council committee backed the $1.7 million purchase of land that could be used in the short term to house volunteers helping with rebuilding and to store construction materials.

Wildfire experts, community leaders, emergency responders and policymakers will gather together for the 2025 Hawaiʻi Wildfire Summit, Feb. 27-28 in Kona on Hawaiʻi Island. They’ll share insights and tackle challenges aimed at building a stronger, more wildfire resilient Hawaiʻi.

Effective volunteer coordination remains essential for Maui’s wildfire recovery efforts. To support local nonprofits in managing volunteers more efficiently, the Maui Volunteer Coalition for Recovery and Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group are providing 100 free POINT Pro subscriptions to qualified organizations.

Motorists in West Maui are advised of potential traffic delays due to night lane closures at the intersection of Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30) and Kapunakea Street in Lahaina for sewer line and paving work for the Kaiāulu o Kūkuʻia Affordable Housing project.

With the US Army Corps of Engineers’ recent completion of debris removal in commercial areas, the security contract for restricted areas in Lahaina’s Impact Zone will end at 6 p.m. Feb. 28, 2025, according to the County’s Maui Emergency Management Agency.

In response to a surge in thefts in fire-impacted areas, the County of Maui is taking action to enhance security. To address these concerns, the County will install security cameras in key, high-risk locations to deter criminal activity and support law enforcement efforts.  

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has notified highway users of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the state’s Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina.

Members of the Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend approving a resolution to authorize a settlement of civil lawsuits involving Komar Maui Properties.

Construction of the permanent site for the Lahaina wildfire and debris is currently underway in Central Maui on recently purchased land and is expected to be completed in June.

The Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act, aims to promote research on using grazing as a strategy to mitigate wildfires, reduce fuel loads and support post-fire recovery efforts.

Planning officials say some residents are waiting for the bill to pass in order to rebuild their properties.

Survivors of the Maui wildfires currently enrolled in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program will be required to begin paying rent starting March 1, 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced.

Maui United Way announced the release of a Request for Proposals for the second year of its Sentry Mālama Nā Keiki Initiative. This program focuses on providing critical mental health support for children and adolescents affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The public is invited to learn more about the transfer of Lahaina’s ash and fire debris from the temporary storage site in Olowalu to the Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui during an open house Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at the County of Maui’s Lahaina Resource Center.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued a speedy opinion in the Maui Wildfires Case, allowing the settlement to continue its course. Insurance companies had sought to intervene in an attempt to recoup payouts made in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Maui County Council members adopted a resolution Friday that authorizes the lease of a County-owned, one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on Lower Main Street in Wailuku to an elder displaced by the August 2023 wildfires.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened to determine whether or not insurers can interfere with the historic $4.037 billion global settlement for plaintiffs in the Maui Wildfires Cases.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced today it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property that does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active, for 61 properties in the Kelawea Mauka area.

An eviction moratorium put in place by Gov. Josh Green following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires expired Tuesday, Feb. 4, and an event Saturday, Feb. 15, will offer “what now?” information, assistance to renters and landlords and details of new procedures to handle evictions and disputes.