Latest Fire Recovery News

Construction of the permanent site for the Lahaina wildfire and debris is currently underway in Central Maui on recently purchased land and is expected to be completed in June.

Planning officials say some residents are waiting for the bill to pass in order to rebuild their properties.

Survivors of the Maui wildfires currently enrolled in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program will be required to begin paying rent starting March 1, 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced.

Maui United Way announced the release of a Request for Proposals for the second year of its Sentry Mālama Nā Keiki Initiative. This program focuses on providing critical mental health support for children and adolescents affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires.

The public is invited to learn more about the transfer of Lahaina’s ash and fire debris from the temporary storage site in Olowalu to the Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui during an open house Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, at the County of Maui’s Lahaina Resource Center.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court issued a speedy opinion in the Maui Wildfires Case, allowing the settlement to continue its course. Insurance companies had sought to intervene in an attempt to recoup payouts made in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Maui County Council members adopted a resolution Friday that authorizes the lease of a County-owned, one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on Lower Main Street in Wailuku to an elder displaced by the August 2023 wildfires.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court convened to determine whether or not insurers can interfere with the historic $4.037 billion global settlement for plaintiffs in the Maui Wildfires Cases.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced today it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property that does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active, for 61 properties in the Kelawea Mauka area.

An eviction moratorium put in place by Gov. Josh Green following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires expired Tuesday, Feb. 4, and an event Saturday, Feb. 15, will offer “what now?” information, assistance to renters and landlords and details of new procedures to handle evictions and disputes.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays due to lane closures at the intersection of Honoapiʻilani Highway and Kapunakea Street in Lahaina for sewer line installation and paving work for the Kaiāulu o Kūkuʻia Affordable Housing project.

Motorists are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the state’s Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina. Hauling will take place nightly on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8, along with Feb. 12 through 14, all beginning at 9:30 p.m.

A waiver of special management area rules for Lahaina wildfire survivors is expected to reduce rebuilding permit processing by about a year, speeding reconstruction and economic recovery for the West Maui community impacted by the deadly Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

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.