Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners will lead a statewide, one-day vigil on Friday, Sept. 1, to aid the emotional and spiritual healing of those on Maui who suffered devastating loss from wildfires that swept through Lahaina and other areas of the island. “There’s an urgent need for prayer, cleansing, and reflection so that together, we can help Maui and Hawai‘i heal,” Holt-Padilla said. “This vigil will help to create a space for grief and healing and the opportunity for Hawai‘i to be united.”

ALTRES Foundation today announced it has launched an online portal for unemployed Maui workers affected by the unprecedented wildfires. The newly launched portal, HireMaui.org, went live on Aug. 28, and offers a way for displaced Maui workers to connect with job vacancies offered by businesses statewide.

The Disaster Legal Hotline is a FREE legal hotline to provide legal assistance to the residents of Maui and the Big Island and any others adversely affected by the wildfires. People can call toll free 888-533-2773 to speak to a volunteer attorney.

The State of Hawai‘i and the County of Maui have selected the US Army Corps of Engineers to lead efforts to remove fire-damaged debris from areas across Maui affected by historic wildfires that began on Aug. 8. 

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 29 are posted HERE. An estimated 11,010 FEMA assistance registrations have been received, with some $14.6 million in federal housing and individual assistance provided, according to the County of Maui. According to the governor, there are more than 6,000 people now being temporarily housed in hotels and Airbnb units.

Due to the generosity of the local community, including a sizable donation of toys from the Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, Maui Health delivered hundreds of toys to bring some joy to keiki and their families on the west side of the island.

“There will be no survivors that we will discover at this point,” said Gov. Green on Day 20 of recovery following the devastating wildfire in Lahaina. “The seven day mark was significant—that’s when the road opened. The 14 day mark was quite significant because that was the day that everyone got out of the [congregate] shelters. The 20 day mark is very significant, because as you’re hearing, essentially, the search and rescue, at least on land, is done.” Another milestone update is expected at the one month mark.

Maui County officials identified two more victims in the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire Monday, bringing the total to 45.

“We can rebuild, and we’re going to rebuild. We’re going to be back. But we cannot bring people back, and that’s the tough part… Trying to cope with that part of life now. This is the normal, and this is hard to get used to. We’re trying to as people, but we just need all the support we can get at this point,” said Lahaina resident, Connor Mowat.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez is urging owners of real property in Lahaina and Kula ZIP codes 96761, 96767 and 96790 to make formal reports of any unsolicited offers that were not asked for or requested to purchase an interest in that property.

Mokulele has collected and shipped more than 40,000 pounds of supplies since resuming its daily service flights to Kapalua Airport on Maui on Aug. 11, three days after the devastating wildfires in Lahaina.

The Consulate of Peru is processing passport and identification replacements for nationals impacted by the wildfires on Aug. 28 and 29 at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

Doctors On Call Urgent Care and Testing Center reopened on Aug. 28 at the Times Market Plaza in North Kaʻanapali/Honokōwai.

AirMedCare Network, a national air ambulance membership network, announced Monday it has implemented a 120-day grace period for active subscribers in Maui whose memberships are expiring within that time frame.

The funds allow the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide people with temporary jobs focused on cleaning up debris and repairing damage caused by the fires, and providing humanitarian assistance to the wildfire survivors.

While West Maui and fire-affected parts of Kula remain no place for visitors — with teams still searching for remains from the Lahaina fire and the recovery in the early stages — the rest of the island was unharmed by the fires but now is reeling from the abrupt loss of tourists that is causing people to lose their jobs and businesses to struggle.

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 28 are posted HERE. The number of confirmed fatalities has remained at 115 for several days with 43 people publicly identified by police. 

The company outlined a list of factors related to the Aug. 8, 2023 events, saying that at around 3 p.m., “power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours” when a second fire in the afternoon began in the same area—in a field near Lahaina Intermediate School.

The people of Lahaina and the rest of Maui were on the forefront of everyone’s minds as Hōkūleʻa symbolizes hope and resilience to many of the Native Hawaiian community who were present at the welcome event.  In honor of Lahaina, crew members wore red Hōkūleʻa shirts and red ceremonial kihei. They also hung special pink feather lei hulu at the top of the mast.  The crew also placed over Hōkūleʻaʻs canvas, a “Lahaina Strong” banner  created by members of Seattleʻs Native Hawaiian community.

Maui police have identified 43 individuals publicly following notification of next of kin, including three additional individuals on Sunday afternoon. The names of victims of the Maui wildfire disaster released today include: David Nuesca Jr., 59, of Lahaina; Poomaikai Losano, 28, of Lahaina; and Carolyn Ono, 73, of Lahaina.