Latest Fire Recovery News

The meeting will include a US Army Corps of Engineers update on debris removal, information on the Department of Health’s new environmental monitoring portal, and presentations by the Maui Emergency Management Agency, Maui Fire Department, Maui Police Department and County Department of Public Works.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has launched an Environmental Monitoring Data Portal to provide a one-stop shop for sharing the results of previous and ongoing environmental monitoring in the areas affected by the August 2023 Lahaina and Kula wildfires.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Department of Planning will hold a planning workshop for the Lahaina Town Historic and Business Districts on Saturday, June 29, 2024, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Lahainaluna High School cafeteria, located at 980 Lahainaluna Road. The workshop will address the core of Lahaina town’s historic and commercial areas, primarily makai of Honoapiʻilani Highway.

The Maui Police Department today confirmed the identity of another victim involved in the West Maui Wildfire incident of August 2023, bringing the total confirmed dead to 102. On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Honolulu medical examiner’s office confirmed Claudette Heermance, 68, of Lahaina succumbed to injuries sustained on Aug. 8, 2023, according to Maui police.

As Maui continues its disaster response and moves toward mid- and long-term recovery, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) has hired Keanu Lau Hee as our senior director of the Maui Recovery Effort. She officially joins HCF on July 16.

A wave of opposition has been building from vacation rental owners and property managers to Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed phase-out of an estimated 7,000 transient vacation rentals in apartment-zoned districts in Maui County.

County of Maui officials provided updated details regarding resident and contractor access in the Lahaina impact zone, previously called the disaster zone. For residents with vehicle passes who have a temporary building permit for a temporary dwelling (such as an ADU, camper, trailer, etc.) and are living onsite while they are rebuilding their permanent home within the impact zone, access is 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a continued effort to support the 200 households (more than 500 individuals) currently residing in Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) hotels, the NCS program has been extended until June 30, 2024.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., notified legislative leaders and stakeholders of his intent to veto 17 bills passed by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature during the 2024 session.  The governor has until July 10 to issue final vetoes and all remaining bills will become law by July 10. 

Lahaina homeowners impacted by the August 2023 wildfire are encouraged to attend the County of Maui Office of Recovery’s second Homeowners Webinar on Thursday, June 27, at 5:30 p.m.

Repairs and installations on County of Maui’s Lahainaluna Road between Honoapiʻilani Highway and Lahaina Bypass will begin in the next several weeks to prepare for the reopening of Lahainaluna Road in August, the County’s Office of Recovery announced.

The County of Maui, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of Hawaiʻi, announces the official closure of the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) and the Community Recovery Center (CRC) effective Saturday, June 29, 2024. In their place, the County of Maui Office of Recovery will be hosting a blessing and soft opening on July 3, 2024 at its new location at Lahaina Gateway.

The expansion of community ownership of real estate in West Maui is one of the few solutions that promises to make homeownership more accessible and build local families’ wealth following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in Lahaina. That according to findings of a report completed earlier this year by the nonprofit Hawai‘i Land Trust (HILT) and Kahālāwai Consulting LLC. The report studied the threat of accelerated land loss by local families and businesses.

It’s been a rocky road for Puʻuhonua o Nēnē, a temporary homeless shelter near Kahului Airport that has provided emergency tented shelter for 120 to 130 people nightly since opening last fall within weeks of the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire disaster.

Ed Sniffen, Director of the State Department of Transportation, will provide an update at the meeting. The County Office of Recovery will also provide an update.

Free produce boxes for those impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires are back thanks to partnerships with Common Ground Collective and Lions Club. Pickup is on Fridays through July 26 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in front of the Pā‘ina Building at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College campus in Kahului. 

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education today released a report summarizing input and opinions from a series of community feedback opportunities on the rebuild plan for King Kamehameha III Elementary School. A total of 291 community members including faculty/staff, current school family members, alumni, and interested community members completed feedback surveys, delivered via three formats – at a staff/faculty meeting, at an open community meeting, or online. 

Officials shared several important updates for Lahaina residents including: lifting the Unsafe Water Advisory for a portion of Lahaina, amending sewer service status for certain parcels, fully reopening the first disaster zone and assisting with the installation of three mobile outdoor warning sirens.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises highway users of traffic slowdowns and possible delays along Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) and adjacent roadways early Friday morning as heavy equipment will be transported from the Pulehunui Industrial Park to the state’s Ka La‘i Ola temporary group housing site in Wahikuli.

The Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina was amended to remove area L-6B, including properties primarily along Honoapiʻilani Highway and Ainakea Road, from Wahikuli Road to Kaniau Road. Water serving buildings and homes in area L-6B is declared safe for unrestricted use effective June 12, 2024.