A draft of the County of Maui’s Long-Term Recovery Plan for Lahaina is available for online viewing and public feedback online starting today. In addition to the online feedback opportunity, the Lahaina community is invited to attend open houses on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Lahaina Energy Partnership invites all Lahaina community members to join the upcoming Co-Design Workshop this Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Lahainaluna cafeteria. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the event occurs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dinner will be provided.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as more modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina, on Saturday night, Oct. 19 and the following Saturday night, Oct. 26.

The Maui County Department of Environmental Management and US Army Corps of Engineers have released a third quarterly report on ongoing activities at the Olowalu temporary wildfire debris disposal site.

Three new Maui Strong Fund opportunities are available as grants for programs that address solutions for interim- and long-term housing and mental health assistance, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced.

In an effort to protect their community from the threat of wildfires, homesteaders with residential lots at the Villages of Leialiʻi in Lahaina have completed a community hazard assessment with the Hawaiʻ Wildlife Management Organization.

David Kingdon, a paramedic with American Medical Response Maui County, has been named one of 33 Global Medical Response Stars of Life.

Ad 2 Hawaiʻi, a nonprofit organization composed of advertising professionals under the age of 32, today announced the opening of applications for its 2024-2025 Public Service Campaign. This initiative offers 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across Hawaiʻi the opportunity to receive professional marketing services completely free of charge. The deadline to apply is Friday, Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. HST. 

With the National Weather Service’s cancellation of the red flag warning for all Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Electric has deactivated its Public Safety Power Shutoff watch. As a result, Hawaiian Electric did not shut off power to customers during the watch because of its PSPS program. Any power outages on Wednesday were unrelated to the PSPS program.

Maui wildfire survivors will receive an additional year of housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, following the approval of a state request on Monday to extend federal support.

The County of Maui has approved with conditions building permits for Kahoma Village to reconstruct four multi-family buildings totaling 24 units that were destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires. 

Recognizing Fuentes was one of the more touching moments of the evening with the organization honoring the Humanitarian of the Year, Community Business of the Year and one of its own as the Executive Director of the Year.

Maui property owners impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires can access free or reduced-cost home design plans and rebuilding assistance through a collaborative effort between the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and local AIA Maui chapter architectural firms, including Hawaii Off Grid Architecture + Engineering.

The state of Hawaiʻi, Maui County and Kamehameha Schools have begun discussions to explore permanently locate Kamehameha III Elementary School on Kamehameha Schools’ land in Kuʻia, Lahaina. The Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire destroyed the school’s former Front Street school site, along with most of historic Lahaina town.

Kimo Carvalho, executive director of HomeAid Hawaii, will discuss “Ka Laʻi Ola: A HomeAid Hawaii Interim Housing Development Program for Maui Wildfire Survivors” at 11:45 a.m. today at Kīhei Lutheran Church, according to an announcement from the Rotary Club of Kihei-Wailea.

Maui households living below the poverty line has more than doubled since the August 2023 Maui wildfires, one of the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s findings in a new survey of fire-affected residents.

A status update on wildfire debris cleanup will be provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, during a Maui County Disaster Recovery Community Update meeting at the Lahaina Civic Center. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the social hall.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., has proclaimed the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024 as “Fire Prevention Week” in the state of Hawai‘i. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!”

The Hawaiʻi Housing Finance & Development Corp. Board of Directors approved last month a proposed public acquisition of the Front Street Apartments destroyed in the Aug. 8-9, 2023, Lahaina wildfire disaster, although there was some uncertainty about rebuilding in the burn zone.

Giving in FY24 included nearly $10 million for programs to benefit relief and recovery from the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, including $1 million from the Stupski Foundation that issued immediate cash payments to UH students within a week of the fires.