Latest Fire Recovery News

The Central Maui Landfill will be the final disposal site for an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of toxic ash and debris left in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 wildfire that leveled Lahaina Town.

During their meeting, Kouchi and Hashimoto urged Ambassador Tai to recognize the unique situation that West Maui is in as it attempts to recover from the wildfire, and to advocate for the construction of 1,000 permanent FEMA-built housing units to house wildfire survivors.

The US Army Corps of Engineers announced on Tuesday the successful installation and turnover of the newly constructed temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary School students in Lahaina to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites residents to participate in an online feedback activity on its recently launched Ola Lahaina page, a hub for online community engagement for Lahaina’s wildfire recovery efforts. The feedback activity will be available through March 15, 2024, and can be found at https://mauirecovers.org/lahaina. 

Kupu, a conservation and youth education nonprofit, is accepting applicants for its Kupu ʻĀina Corps Wildfire Recovery Initiative dedicated to wildfire recovery and resilience work on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, until the deadline on March 1, 2024.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D. announced details surrounding the planned launch of the One ‘Ohana Fund on March 1, and provided a housing update for wildfire survivors. While earlier this month, the governor said a moratorium would “not likely” be needed during his six month update, he revisited the idea today.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host the March edition of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” featuring Andrea Kealoha, assistant professor of the Department of Oceanography at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, on Wednesday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will receive a presentation at its meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. regarding the wildfire impacts and forecasts on Maui County’s economy from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

The grassroots, community based initiative aims to recruit at least 1,000 individuals affected by the wildfires to participate in the study. Current recruitment events take place: Feb. 23 from 3-7 p.m. at the Royal Lahaina Resort, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lahaina Civic Center, and Feb. 25 from 10 am. to 2 p.m. at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. 

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises the public of nighttime lane closures along Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) beginning Monday, Feb. 26. Lanes will be closed from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day, through Friday, March 1, in the vicinity of Kaniau Road to Keawe Street.

The bank’s employees from the former Lahaina Branch on Papalaua Street that was lost in the fire will be staffing the new location. FHB will be submitting applications for permits to begin construction at the Lahaina Cannery location and hopes to expedite the development of the new location.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai visited Maui Economic Opportunity’s Wailuku offices Wednesday, Feb. 21, for a listening session about the wildfire recovery.

Hawaiʻi’s economy has been sustained by a resilient US economy and the gradual return of international visitors. According to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s first quarter forecast for 2024, with the islands’ post-pandemic recovery now largely complete, the economy will downshift this year, and growth will increasingly come from local sources, including a robust construction sector bolstered by the rebuilding of Lahaina, Maui.

A group rallying to help secondary victims of the August fires is asking Gov. Josh Green to extend protections for tenants facing evictions from landlords seeking more lucrative rental income tied to subsidized housing for wildfire survivors.

“The State needs to be better prepared for wildfires,” said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. “Our Committee believes these forward thinking bills make sure we are not as susceptible to another catastrophic wildfire, and that we stand ready to efficiently and strategically respond if we find ourselves facing fire again.”

More than 2,700 people over a two-week period participated in County of Maui surveys on proposed Permanent Disposal Sites for Lahaina wildfire ash and debris. March 1 is the target date for selecting the Permanent Disposal Site.

The County of Maui announces an informational workshop aimed at assisting owners whose properties were destroyed in the August wildfires, and who have not signed up for government-assisted clean-up.

Lahaina wildfire survivors were updated Wednesday on the progress of ash and debris removal from residential properties destroyed Aug. 8, and they learned the results of surveys aimed at assessing public sentiment in how to determine the final disposal site for thousands of burned homes.

The US Environmental Protection Agency will begin clearing and inspecting sanitary sewer lines on Honoapiʻilani Highway and Keawe Street in Lahaina starting the week of Feb. 26. Department officials say work will take place between Leialiʻi Parkway and Keawe Street (from Wahikuli Wayside Park to Safeway on Honoapiʻilani Highway and from Minit Stop to Honoapiʻilani Highway on Keawe Street).

US Sen. Mazie Hirono visited the preschool next to Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School for about a half-hour as part of her tour of west side sites. The Lahaina Head Start site, the only preschool to survive the fires, reopened Feb. 1 after cleanup and renovations.