Latest Fire Recovery News

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted for owners and residents with vehicle passes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24-25, in Zones 5G, 7F and 7G.

The Hoʻūlu Lahaina Unity Gathering aims to bring the community together in a show of support for those affected by the fires. The group is also calling on the waʻa (canoe) community across Hawaiʻi to join this effort.

Over a thousand people came out on Sunday, Nov. 19 to support Maui at the Neal Blaisdell Center on Oʻahu. Maui vendors participating in the Kōkua for Maui: Shop and Show Aloha event showcased various products from around Maui County, giving many businesses a new opportunity to sell and highlight their work. 

This Giving Tuesday, UH Foundation stands with Maui and is devoting 100% of fundraising efforts to helping the UH ‘ohana bolster Maui’s recovery following the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is notifying motorists of upcoming closures for the week of Nov. 20, on Honoapiʻilani Highway as part of the West Maui Temporary School Facilities project.  

“I want to see that grow out of this situation we’re in today. Let us find the people who bind us together. Let us find the strength in our lāʻau (plants), in our community. Let us find the koʻi (adze) that define the future and shape our world as we’re going to see it; the kālaimoku (high official), the kālai waʻa (canoe carver)—all of those people. They’re in our community. I can stare into this audience and see all the individuals, and that’s what gives me comfort,” said Kaipo Kekona.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen acknowledged: “Housing was an issue on Maui and in West Maui before Aug. 8, and it became, obviously, a bigger issue after that.” “Our duty as government is to present the other options that people have. Let’s talk of creating a land trust,” said the mayor. That was one of the topics that was also explored at the Native Hawaiian Convention.

The House Interim Wildfire Prevention Working Group, Environmental Remediation Working Group, and Shelter Working Group will each meet on Friday to take public input on their respective draft report.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 20 and 21, for owners and residents with vehicle passes in Zones 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E.

Initially, the questionable structural integrity of the parking structure combined with the concern for possible hazardous materials in the water prevented a comprehensive search by the Maui Police Department. Pumping will occur at night during low tide when water levels in the garage are lower.

Organizers of the Kōkua for Maui program announced the upcoming shopping and craft fair events, inviting the public to extend their aloha to Maui businesses impacted by the devastating August wildfires. 

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement invites Lahaina residents to participate in a discussion on a Debris Removal Program, happening Thursday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the McCoy Studio Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The first meeting takes place on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria. The meetings continue at 6 p.m. every Thursday in November and December as debris cleanup progresses, with the exception of holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2023. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency is nearing the end of processing hundreds of thousands of lithium-ion batteries from burned electric/hybrid vehicles and solar battery energy storage systems from the Maui wildfires and shipping them to Nevada for recycling.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions will be lifted on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17 and 18, for owners and residents with vehicle passes in Zones 6B and 7A.

The Maui Police Department today identified one more victim of the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire: Sharlene Rabang, 78, of Lahaina.

County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions have been lifted for several rural land zones as of 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, including: 1D, 10F, 14E, 15B, and 15C. Reentry for zone 5G (E. Kuu Aku Lane) is only for areas within the zone that were not affected by the fire. Supported reentry for residents in fire-affected units is expected to be held next week.

The 22nd Annual Native Hawaiian Convention gets underway today at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, Maui. The four day event was moved to Maui this year to uplift the voices and people following the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Maui Business Bridge Grant that provides financial support to businesses directly or indirectly impacted by the August wildfires began accepting applications today, Nov. 13, with Maui Economic Opportunity working with establishments of $300,000 in gross revenue or less.

This Maui Business Bridge Grant program is now accepting applications. The purpose of this grant program is to support Maui-based businesses that have been directly or indirectly impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023 Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires.