The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that insurance companies cannot intervene in the $4 billion Maui wildfire settlement, removing a legal hurdle for thousands of survivors awaiting compensation.

Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced a combined award of $6.34 million to Hawaiian Community Assets to expand the Ua Hale A‘ela program, a transformative initiative providing safe, affordable housing and clear pathways to homeownership for families affected by the devastating Maui wildfires.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will debut Lele Wale, a new hana keaka (Hawaiian theatre work) that takes audiences on a journey of community rebuilding in the wake of the Lahaina wildfires. The production honors those who were lost, those who survived, and those who still carry the weight of rebuilding on Maui. Performances run March 4–8 in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at Kennedy Theatre.

The program was launched in November of 2023, following the devastating Maui wildfires, to ensure that survivors could access the resources and support needed on their paths to recovery. To date, the DCMP has helped more than 6,800 survivors access the help they need, connecting them with services worth more than $163 million.  

Maui architect David Sellers will receive the Gordon Bradley Humanitarian Award for his recovery efforts in Lahaina during the second annual Huakaʻi Awards Gala.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites commercial property owners who lost property in Lahaina during the 2023 Maui wildfires to attend a dedicated commercial permitting workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Morgado Hall at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.

The County of Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources has secured $2 million in highly competitive federal funding through a grant awarded by the National Park Service.

The Maui County Council passed a bill on first reading Friday that would allow for factory-built housing in the Lahaina burn zone, a measure intended to accelerate housing recovery for survivors of the August 2023 wildfires.

Mayor Richard Bissen told state lawmakers Monday that his administration has shifted its focus from immediate wildfire recovery to housing delivery and large-scale infrastructure investments, forecasting the construction of approximately 3,000 affordable and workforce homes by 2030.

Three members of the Aloha Amplified, Inc. board were selected as featured speakers at the upcoming, Feb. 3, 2026 meeting of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset. Speakers will share highlights and plans for the upcoming Lights for Lahaina 2026 event, which is expanding into a two-day gathering. Board of Directors presenters include Wilmont “Kamaunu” Kahaiali‘i, Linn Nishikawa and Lori Nishikawa.

The Maui County Council will accept public testimony next month regarding proposed changes to building height limits for new construction within the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District.

Federal housing assistance for Maui wildfire survivors has been extended through February 2027, providing relief to nearly 1,000 households that were facing an impending cutoff.

Proposed updates to Maui County’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Action Plan are now available to view on the Hoʻokumu Hou website. This is the official online site for the Office of Recovery Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program.

Surfrider Foundation, Pacific Fire Exchange, and Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, have released Re-planting After Fire: A Fire-Resilient Landscape Guide for Lahaina & West Maui — a new, free resource created specifically for the Lahaina and West Maui community.

Maui County Federal Credit Union announced the reopening of its Lahaina Branch at 270 Lahainaluna Road on Jan. 12, 2026, marking a meaningful return to its home in Lahaina. Its temporary location at the Fairway Shops in Kāʻanapali at 2580 Kekaʻa Drive, Suite 117, closes permanently on Jan. 9, 2026.

Maui Economic Opportunity would like 2023 wildfire survivors to be aware that short- and long-term rental assistance for up to four months may be available through the Maui Relief TANF Program/Maui Relief Program for Wildfire Disaster Survivors.  

USACE led the major operation requiring clearance of roughly 400,000 tons of wildfire debris. Debris transfer to the temporary Olowalu site, adjacent to a former landfill, from the devastating 2023 wildfires began in January 2024. The transfer from the TDS to the Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui began June 16, 2025.

One year after its establishment as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group is marking a milestone in its efforts to support survivors of the August 2023 wildfires.

In 39 days, those types of gatherings will not be possible for the 1,475 individuals still in FEMA-funded housing on Maui if the deadline is not extended. In November, the state requested a 12-month extension to the current deadline.

The draft guidelines are the latest effort by the county to move forward with rebuilding in the town’s business district, which overlaps a sensitive historic area that has seen little activity since the August 2023 wildfires.