Latest Fire Recovery News

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.

Hawaiian Community Assets, a statewide nonprofit housing counseling agency, announced that the first four Wailuku homes offered through its Ua Hale Aʻela program for Maui wildfire survivors will be available for occupancy beginning Aug. 28, 2026. 

One property is close to getting the first recovery building permit on the iconic street, while Maui County continues working on ways to make it easier for the many commercial landowners who haven’t even started the permitting process.

While usually held the first Wednesday of each month, the Lahaina Community Meeting for August was moved to the following week out of respect for the three-year mark of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery today announced it will be launching two competitive grant opportunities through its Hoʻokumu Hou program, open to nonprofits and government agencies that are working to support community members’ recovery from the 2023 Maui Wildfires.

The Lahaina Interfaith Council invites the community to an Honor & Remembrance service on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, at 9 a.m. at Lahaina United Methodist Church, 142 Baker St.

Three years after the 2023 Maui wildfires, residents are showing meaningful signs of recovery—but persistent food insecurity, housing instability, health concerns and weakening social support continue to place many families at risk. That is the central finding of a new community report released July 27 from the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES), led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services will limit new applications to the Maui Relief Program to households with dependent children under 18 beginning Aug. 1 as state disaster relief funding for the program nears exhaustion, the agency announced.

Nearly $1.6 million to Maui County Department of Public Works for emergency protective measures as a result of the Maui wildfires, FEMA reported.