The Stories

The sign was created as a paid partnership between the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center and Manafacture, owners of the Na Koa Brand which also has a store at the mall. The business designed and created the sign, and Artisan Events Maui installed the work. 

An estimated 500 Lahainaluna High School students reported Thursday to their temporary school site at Kūlanihākoʻi High for their first day of in-person instruction. Lahainaluna students were welcomed by Kūlanihākoʻi students and staff cheering and waving signs at the drop-off area on campus.

“Most of the 13 boats, as well as the pier they’re tied to, appear to be largely untouched by the flames of Aug. 8,” according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. “One boat, the Reel Luckey, the last name of its owners, is a metaphor for the line of white vessels, still afloat in stark contrast to the blackened landscape, buildings, and harbor structures.”

Hundreds gathered in waters off of Ukumehame on Friday to reflect and unite during a Paddle Out for Lahaina event, held one month after wildfires swept through Maui.

The Maui Humane Society was granted restricted access on Aug. 26, 18 days after the destructive wildfire swept through Lahaina. Maui Humane Society CEO, Lisa Labrecque, DVM, shared the challenges, obstacles, and ongoing efforts to provide help in the wake of Maui’s wildfire disaster. Her open letter to the Maui community is posted here.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) delivered remarks on the Senate floor discussing the impact of the deadly fires on Maui last month and underscoring the need for continued federal support in the months ahead.

Two nonprofits, Maui Hope and the Hawaiʻi Autism Foundation, presented a $1,900 check to Lahaina resident Jhuendel Sabalo and her 8 year-old daughter who has autism. The funds were raised through a Gofundme campaign, and will help the family to purchase a car after they lost their home, vehicle and all their belongings in the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire tragedy. 

Thousands of leaves on the 150-year-old Lahaina banyan tree are scorched but its multiple trunks show little sign of being singed during the Aug. 8 firestorm that devastated this historic, coastal West Maui community. 

“I cried everyday feeling guilty I couldn’t break down the door to save them,” Finn’s owner, Danielle told the Maui Humane Society. Since Maui Humane Society has received access into the burn zone, the organization has brought back more than 90 animals to the shelter and have had more than 20 of those animals reunited with their families.

Captain Peter Gand and Firefighter III Cody Cordeiro knew Aug. 8 would be a busy day from the moment they woke up and drove over the ‘Pali’ section of the Honoapiʻilani Highway to work in Lahaina. “Half of my crew lost their houses in this fire. They knew that their houses were gone, and they just didn’t stop. They kept on going, pushing through and they didn’t hesitate throughout the night,” said Capt. Gand.

On Friday, 25 days after the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire caused unimaginable loss of life, vigils were held from sunrise to sunset on Maui and across the state to mourn all the people who died, including those whose names are not yet known.

Upcountry wildfire survivors discussed the loss of their homes and the unwavering support of community volunteers who came to their aid in the days following disastrous wildfires on Maui. “It only takes a spark to start a fire. Sometimes you just need that one little spark to get a response going, and the community has been the fuel for that,” said volunteer, Kyle Ellison.

“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.

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 Fire Department and responders from other agencies welcomed home the department member who was injured on Aug. 8, fighting the fire in Lahaina. He had spent the last two weeks in the hospital on Oʻahu.

Various local volunteers help community in Lahaina after fire disaster.

“I’m 82, and ‘Why rebuild?’ It will probably take at least two years, but with FEMA, with SBA and the immediate family—the ʻohana—that’s why I’m going to rebuild,” he said.

In the aftermath of the catastrophic wildfires that swept through Maui, a community-driven collaboration between Pacific Impact Zone, SMX, and the Maui Tech Hui worked to rapidly deploy satellite internet connectivity at key locations in West Maui.

President Joe Biden drew applause at the Lahaina Civic Center when he told about 400 survivors of the fire: “We’re gonna build back better. Better than you had. But what YOU want. What YOU need.”

Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura shares details regarding wildfire response to the deadly fire in Lahaina that started on Aug. 8, 2023.