“We recognize that even before the Lahaina fire there were conflicts between commercial vessel operations, especially at Māla Wharf, and community recreational users. For this reason, we are encouraging fishers, commercial vessel operators, and interested community members to attend this informational meeting so everyone can share and hear respective interests and concerns at the same time before decisions are made,” said Chang.

Nearly 150 people from keiki to kūpuna — many who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses in the Aug. 8 fire — testified before the Maui County Council in Kāʻanapali about the resolution to develop a recovery and resiliency plan in response to the Maui fires.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions have been lifted for business in Zone 5A, which is the Old Lahaina Lūʻau anchored parcel along Front Street. Access is via the Lahaina Cannery Mall through the Keawe Street entrance only. All other entrance points are blocked off.

The Department of Water Supply reminds people in areas affected by the recent wildfires that they may obtain safe water for their drinking, cooking and basic hygiene needs from a fleet of designated potable water tankers positioned at various sites in Lahaina and Upper Kula.

Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO Nainoa Thompson today announced a major change to the Moananuiākea Voyage sail plan.  In the wake of the devastating fires on Maui, Hōkūleʻa will return home from San Diego, California in late December, before continuing on the circumnavigation of the Pacific.  

When a wildfire devastated the island of Maui on Aug. 8, killing at least 97 people and destroying more than 2,000 homes, the FBI offered assistance to law enforcement partners on Maui. Today that assistance continues as teams work to identify remains and confirm individuals who are unaccounted for.

House Interim Schools Working Group Co-Chairs Justin H. Woodson and Jenna Takenouchi and members of the House Interim Schools Working Group in coordination with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will organize a public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, to discuss the status of education for Maui students impacted by the Lahaina wildfire. 

The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection will hold a field briefing in Lahaina on Thursday, Sept. 28 to address questions and take testimony pertaining to wildfire-related insurance claims.

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement hosts a day long hula and mele workshop fundraiser, Kōkua Nā Hono Aʻo Piʻilani, on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Windward Community College, Hale ʻĀkoakoa. Proceeds from the event will directly benefit ongoing Maui relief efforts. 

Mayor Richard Bissen and members of his Lahaina Advisory Team have shaped a phased approach to the reopening of West Maui to visitors following an announcement by Gov. Josh Green that West Maui will reopen on Oct. 8, 2023.

More than 800 ‘ukulele will be donated to various organizations, institutions and community groups on Maui to assist with distribution to the affected children and families so that they may find healing and comfort through the sound of music and through the ‘ukulele.

The US House Committee on Energy & Commerce is holding a subcommittee fact-finding hearing on Thursday in Washington, D.C., to investigate the role of electric infrastructure in the “catastrophic Maui fire” in Lahaina on Aug. 8 that killed at least 97 people.

West Maui residents can update their voter registration in-person at the Government Relations, Ethics, and Transparency Committee on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, at the Westin Maui’s Honoapiʻilani Ballroom, starting at 8:30 a.m.

The Maui Police Department identified six more victims of the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire on Tuesday: Felimon Quijano, 61; Luz Bernabe, 64; Joel Villegas, 55; Adela Villegas, 53; Angelica Baclig, 31; and Junmark Quijano, 30. All are from Lahaina.

The Unified Command and the primary contractor, Global Diving & Salvage, have removed, to date, over 2100 gallons of product from vessels in the vicinity of Lahaina Harbor.

FEMA will be fronting the initial $5.36 million in funding for a temporary campus on 10.2 acres in Honokōwai below the Kapalua Airport. The build time for the temporary site will be around 95 days.

Three Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the County of Maui are working with the federal Emergency Watershed Protection Program to quickly address widescale environmental damage caused by the August wildfires.

The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization launched a publicly available, interactive housing data dashboard on Sept. 26, that allows users to customize their data reports based on location, with information such as property and rental market, demographics, zoning and housing stock. UHERO designed the dashboard to inform discussions on the way forward for housing in Hawaiʻi.

In response to the devastating impact of the recent wildfires, Haku Baldwin Center, a Makawao-based nonprofit specializing in therapeutic and educational equine-assisted services, announced the opening of a free mental health and wellness program for Maui’s first responders and their families.

“Although our clinic was spared from the fire, that wasn’t the case for three of our staff members who have been displaced. The most difficult news is that our Patient Service Coordinator Laurie Allen remains in critical condition in Straub Hospital with the burn wounds she sustained in her evacuation from her home,” said Director of Clinics Tiffany Prangnell.