Latest Fire Recovery News

Wildfire survivors currently in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program will be required to begin paying rent on March 1, 2025. The rental requirement will be in effect for the remainder of FEMA’s housing assistance program, which has been extended through Feb. 10, 2026.  

Former residents of the Lahaina Surf and Front Street Apartments — destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires — cheered when they were reassured that both affordable housing complexes would be rebuilt and that they, as residents at the time of the fires, would be given priority to return to redeveloped homes.

If selling land is a last resort, the pledge recognizes that real estate professionals can serve as a safety net that connects homeowners with resources to help keep their families on their land.

A House bill requested by the administration of Gov. Josh Green aimed at preventing wildfires in Hawaiʻi will be heard by two House committees at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Measure specifically targets four affordable housing projects that offered 358 units before the fire.

The Kelea Foundation will host a community training aimed at helping organizations supporting wildfire survivors better understand and address the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett has released the agency’s After-Action Report on the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s (DEM) Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active, for 32 properties in the following areas: Sewer service was active for the […]

Companion bills in the state House and Senate have been submitted to establish the Maui Wildfires Settlement Trust Fund to pay claims from about 2,200 plaintiffs who’ve filed claims from injuries suffered in the August 2023 disaster.

The West Maui Temporary Debris Storage site environmental monitoring quarterly report for the fourth 90-day operational period shows the findings from sampling and monitoring comply with county, state and federal environmental regulations.

Hale Mahaolu, a nonprofit affordable housing provider, has announced plans to redevelop its Lahaina Surf property, and the Front Street Apartments, which is owned by the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation. The redevelopment projects are expected to provide 304 units of family housing for Maui residents.

Gov. Josh Green’s eviction moratorium for Maui will expire on Feb. 4, 2025. To provide information and answer questions about what this means for renters and landlords, the State and Maui Mediation Services will hold an event this Saturday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cameron Center in Wailuku.

This second session is about taking those initial ideas and turning them into actionable pathways for a resilient energy future that honors Lahaina’s heritage.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Rotary District 5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief program distributed $60,000 in Foodland and Walmart gift cards to Maui fire survivors.

In a continued effort to support the community after the Maui wildfires of 2023, the Rotary D5000 Fire Relief Fund has donated $48,160 to the Maui Preparatory Academy school lunch program for the fire-affected students and faculty. 

A sewer line being built for the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing Site on Maui will have long-term benefits for Lahaina.

Lele Aloha announced the launch of the Hauola Awards, a grant program aimed at supporting the rebuilding, re-establishing, and reinvigorating of communities affected by the 2023 Maui fires. In response to the unprecedented destruction, Lele Aloha stands committed to providing immediate relief and aiding long-term recovery efforts.

The Maui Food Bank, in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻi Nutrition Center, offers healthy food demonstrations at Da Market in Lahaina by incorporating products that neighbors in the program can access at Da Market.

Standing on ʻāina that will forever be protected for Lahaina’s kamaʻāina families, the Lahaina Community Land Trust gathered Monday with community leaders, friends and ‘ohana to celebrate and bless the first property secured into community ownership.

At the request of the Maui County Council, Senate President Ronald Kouchi (Kaua’i, Ni’ihau) has introduced a bill to make changes to operations of the state Commission on Water Resource Management.