Tia L. R. Hartsock, director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience was selected by the awards committee of the Hawai‘i Psychological Association to commemorate her work on the coordinated mental health response to the Maui wildfires.

The funds provided 2,150 meals to the Maui community between Nov. 15 through Dec. 15, 2023, which included 250 Thanksgiving meals to registered Lahaina families within the burn zone, 600 meals to families and keiki at a Keiki Christmas Bash, and 1,300 meals to school students.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises the traveling public to be aware of pedestrians walking along the Lahaina Bypass (Route 3000) and Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) on Saturday morning, Jan. 20, 2024. The Lele Aloha Hoʻūlu Lahaina Unity Gathering will host a Unity Walk beginning at 8 a.m. along the Lahaina Bypass, south of the Lahainaluna Road underpass. 

A milestone moment was reached on Wednesday as the first residential property was cleared of wildfire debris on Fleming Road in Lahaina. This comes following months of coordinated reentry activities that allowed residents to gain access to their properties and assess damage. Debris removal from residential properties in Lahaina began on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.

The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College Campus Health Center has been providing free birth control visits and women’s health exams to women displaced or impacted by the Maui wildfires since the first days after the Aug. 8, 2023 events.

The Maui ERC was formed in response to the wildfires that devastated Lahaina and Kula and is led by co-chairs James Kunane Tokioka, DBEDT Director, and Luana Mahi, OED Director.

Fire debris removal begins in Lahaina on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 under a collaborative effort between the County of Maui, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The temporary traffic signal near Cut Mountain will allow vehicles hauling fire debris to cross the Lahaina Bypass. The crossing will only be for debris removal vehicles and is not open to the public. The signal will be manually controlled during work hours.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center has partnered with Elly’s Formal Wear for the second time to host a prom shopping experience for Lahainaluna juniors. Elly’s is inviting Lahainaluna juniors to sign up for an appointment at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center to find their perfect junior prom outfit. The service is available through Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.

All agreed the decision was a difficult one with one member calling the choice a “lose-lose situation.” Another criticized the administration, saying the council was left out of the site selection process, and now felt pressure to approve or lose funding.

Maui Firefighter Tanner Mosher was honored with a ceremonial resolution on Friday for his heroism during the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire in Lahaina. Mosher extended his gratitude to the community and apologies to the people of Lahaina saying he felt like it wasn’t enough. “I don’t feel like I would have made the choices I made if it wasn’t for my friend and coworker Tre’ Evans-Dumaran,” said Mosher.

“It is unconceivable to think that someone would selfishly take these signs, especially now, when Lahaina has suffered so much,” said Theo Morrison, executive director of Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

The Maui County Council today confirmed Mayor Richard Bissen’s appointment of Josiah Nishita to head the Department of Management. 

Wildfire recovery work in Lahaina continues on state roadways, with progress outlined for the repair of traffic signals and guardrails, assessment of opening closed areas, the installation of an emergency stormwater capture system, and monitoring traffic impacts of emergency drain line replacement work.

Hoʻoikaika Partnership, a coalition dedicated to preventing child maltreatment and strengthening families, has received a one-year grant from The Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

The James Campbell Company, a Hawai‘i-based and nationally diversified real estate company, announced today that it has donated $125,000 to support Maui fire relief efforts.

The Puʻuhonua Kauluwehi project will collaboratively establish a network of biocultural refuges supporting the cultivation of native plants to accelerate landscape-scale ecological restoration, food security, and community well-being strategies.

The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance has passed; however, Hawaiʻi residents and businesses have been granted a 45-day grace period, until Thursday, Jan. 25, to submit their US Small Business Administration disaster loan applications for property damage caused by wildfires. 

The partners reached a milestone in the cleanup of Lahaina with: 1,481 Tax Map Keys (TMKs) Fully Assessed; 168 Tons of Household Hazardous Materials (HHM) and Bulk Asbestos Material (BAM) Removed; 6,371 Samples Taken; 3,430 Vehicles Located; and 6,241 Trees Assessed with 202 Trees Marked as Protected and 4,678 Trees Tagged.

CocoNene, the local brand known for its made in Hawaiʻi products, has expanded its presence at International Market Place on Oʻahu.  The Waikīkī expansion is part of rebuilding and recovery efforts after the Lahaina flagship store was lost in the West Maui fire in August of 2023. It also comes a month after the grand opening of their new store in Māʻalaea, Maui at the Maui Harbor Shops.