Latest Fire Recovery News

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds for communities across 24 states and territories.  The County of Maui in Hawaiʻi received more than $1.6 billion for wildfires.

This festive season brought blessings to 14 spiritual centers affected by the 2023 fires in Lahaina, as Lele Aloha, a 501(c)(3) organization founded by renowned waterman Archie Kalepa, announced a generous donation totaling $240,000.

The Office of Resiliency and Recovery today announced that the deadline to complete applications for the Hawaiʻi Interim Housing Program (HIHP) for Maui residents displaced by the August 2023 Wildfires is Jan. 15, 2025. Households that have existing applications have until Jan. 15 to complete any remaining information for HIHP processing.

The five nonprofits receiving grants from Nareit Hawaiʻi are Hawaiʻi Literacy ($35,000), Kaibigan ng Lahaina ($30,000), Hawaiʻi Land Trust ($30,000), The Pantry by Feeding Hawaiʻi Together ($25,000), and The Salvation Army ($25,000). 

Among the topics to be discussed is the recently announced $1.6 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds that was appropriated by Congress after the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Maui United Way today announced the formation of the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative, a pioneering philanthropic network designed to support communities impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Wildfire recovery, the cancellation of the Maui Fair, housing solutions, and election highlights are among the stories that made our list of top features this year. Here’s a recap of some of Maui’s biggest stories in 2024.

A gifting initiative led by Lahaina teen, Madison “Madi” Goldsmith, and mainland nonprofit, the Lady Savant Foundation is recognizing positivity in the sustained spirit of residents following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

The Malama Kula team has been working to help Upcountry residents clean up and recover from the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire that erupted in Pohakuokala Gulch and burned more than 200 acres and destroyed homes, and now it’s receiving $100,000 from Maui Rotarians.

Sacred Hearts temporary school now consists of 13 air-conditioned classrooms housed within existing buildings on the leased property, two portable enrichment classrooms, a school office, mental health counseling rooms and maintenance areas.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are delivered to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Kilohana site in Lahaina. Loads will be transported from Kahului Harbor to a staging area near the Kahului boat ramp, beginning at 7 a.m. and throughout the day, on Sunday, Dec. 29.

President Joe Biden signed US Rep. Jill Tokuda’s (HI-02) Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act into law. Under this law, the National Park Service, in consultation with state and local partners, will study the suitability and feasibility of a National Heritage Area designation for Lahaina.

The County of Maui has released the final Long-Term Recovery Plan for Lahaina, following a monthlong community engagement series on the draft plan that included feedback from hundreds of residents and local stakeholders.

In a pivotal milestone for the recovery and rebuilding of communities devastated by the 2023 Maui wildfires, Mayor Richard Bissen announced that the County of Maui will receive an estimated $1.6 billion in new Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for housing on Maui and an estimated $480 million more for economic development, […]

The County of Maui’s weekly Lahaina Disaster Recovery Community Meetings will be paused during the holidays. The next in-person meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

PBS Frontline’s new documentary, “Maui’s Deadly Firestorm,” a year-long investigation into the devastating August 2023 wildfire that claimed 102 lives and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaiʻi. The film explores the causes of the deadliest American wildfire in a century and the missed warnings that made it so unstoppable.

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church reopened last week in downtown Lahaina, resplendent in white Christmas lights and even capped by a three-quarter moon high over its spire in the West Maui night sky.

US Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Public Archives Resiliency Act, legislation that would authorize grants to promote preservation, climate resilience, adaption, and continuity of vital government records and protect other records of historical or cultural significance.

The focus has now shifted to commercial debris removal. Currently, all but eight commercial properties in Lahaina have been cleared and completed. All commercial properties are projected to be completed by early 2025.  

Motorists on Maui are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului Harbor to FEMA’s Kilohana temporary group housing site in Lahaina over the next two weeks.