Latest Fire Recovery News

Hawaiian Council announced today that the website and vendor application portal are now live for ʻUlu o Lele, the interim marketplace and community gathering space being developed at the former Outlets of Maui site in Lahaina. Applications will be accepted through Monday, Sept. 28, 2026.

A portion of Front Street in Lahaina will be temporarily closed on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, to accommodate the Lights for Lahaina Light March.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery has extended the application deadline for its Hoʻokumu Hou Economic Revitalization Ka ʻImi ʻIke Program and Hoʻokumu Hou Public Services Program to 5 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2026.

Mayor Richard Bissen is urging the US Postal Service to preserve and restore direct home mail delivery for Lahaina residents rebuilding homes destroyed in the 2023 Maui Wildfires, emphasizing that “returning families should not lose an essential service simply because they were forced to rebuild.”

Maui-based filmmaker Stephan Boeker and Pacific Story Tellers recently won two Northern California Regional Emmy Awards for Journey Beyond the Grid: The Hawaiʻi Off-Grid Story, a documentary that began as a story about sustainable, self-sufficient design and ultimately became a much broader exploration of resilience and preparedness in Hawaiʻi.

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

The state of Hawaiʻi Department of Education is set to receive $9.3 million in post-disaster funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for permanent repairs to King Kamehameha III Elementary School on Maui.

All proceeds from ticket sales, online donations, and corporate sponsorships will go directly toward restoring hope, long-term housing solutions, and community stability across Lahaina and Maui.

Maui County will take ownership of the 167-unit Kīlohana modular housing project, now serving Lahaina wildfire survivors, in a move that could pave the way for the temporary homes to become permanent housing, County Council members learned Wednesday.

Melissa Dyckman Interiors has launched Lahaina Rebuild Design Guidance, a one-on-one advisory service created to support Lahaina homeowners rebuilding after the 2023 wildfires. The service helps clients make smarter decisions during planning and construction, before costly changes, delays and long-term design regrets happen.

Three years after the devastating wildfires that started on Aug. 8, 2023, the community came together in remembrance, reflection and aloha during Kuhinia Maui held on the grounds of Lahaina United Methodist Church.

Three years after devastating wildfires swept through Lahaina and parts of Upcountry Maui, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health continues to support the health and recovery of Maui communities through behavioral health services and partnerships with community organizations.

“With deep reverence for the County of Maui and its people who three years ago faced deadly and devastating wildfires, the Maui County Council sends its renewed blessings and support for recovery and healing,” Chair Alice L. Lee said.

As Lahaina marks three years since the Aug. 8, 2023 fire, Maui artist Rafael Pereda is unveiling “Lahainaluna,” a deeply personal new painting created over the past year in honor of the community he has called home for more than two decades.

Three years after the Maui Wildfire Disaster, Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration report a continued focus on housing recovery and business rebuilding efforts. The response remains a focal point as the community recovers from one of the most complex megafires in US history.

Homes are gradually being rebuilt, while some businesses impacted by the wildfires have since reopened. Yet for thousands of survivors, the emotional impact of Aug. 8, 2023, continues every day.

To mark the three-year anniversary of the Kula fire, the grassroots nonprofit Mālama Kula will host a community work day from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 8, helping a property that was affected by both the Kula wildfire as well as the Kona Low floods. 

Lights for Lahaina will return Sept. 11-12, bringing the community together to honor Lahaina’s history, resilience and hope for the future. Admission is free.

Gov. Josh Green announced that the One ʻOhana Fund has offered the full $175 million in compensation to families of the 102 people who died and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

The County of Maui has extended the Hoʻokumu Hou application deadline to Dec. 31, 2026, and expanded eligibility for wildfire recovery programs following an increase in federal income limits.