Latest Fire Recovery News

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.

Alongside Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee and Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Mayor Richard Bissen on Wednesday afternoon signed into law an approximately $1.263 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The document boosts housing for residents, especially those who were displaced after the 2023 August wildfires, supports wildfire recovery and resiliency, bolsters social service programs and delivers core services.

Nine months after the Lahaina wildfire disaster an estimated 75% remained in temporary housing, according to a report published by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Some of the permanent housing is away from Maui, but the report did not have precise information about those who’ve moved away.

The US Environmental Protection Agency recently completed drinking water sampling in the wildfire-impacted areas of Lahaina, which is a critical step in helping the County of Maui restore drinking water services to the community. 

The Clyde Wakida Scholarship Fund was established through donations from friends and family after the August fire.  This year the Fund awarded five recipients, each receiving $2,000. Recipients were: Carla Mae Agrade, Judy Dela Cruz, Blessy Calapit, Cecelia Steiner and John Tumpap.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.