Latest Fire Recovery News

Chief among the findings was the dramatic shift in work for the nonprofit sector.  Over 80% of respondents have shifted the focus of their work to fire relief, affecting the sector’s capacity to deliver a wide range of social services.

Hawai‘i Community Foundation today announced a monumental donation of $4 million from Oak Foundation to its Maui Strong Fund. This contribution is the largest single gift the fund has received from a philanthropic entity. 

Council member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins announced that the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet at Lahaina Civic Center on Wednesday at 5 p.m., to receive testimony on a resolution for a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August wildfires.

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 Monday, Oct. 23 and Tuesday, Oct. 24, in Zones 13A, 13B and 13C.

Nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, that had losses caused by the Maui County wildfires and high winds have one week – until Wednesday, Oct. 25 – to submit a Request for Public Assistance from FEMA.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has removed hazardous materials from more than 75% of the burned properties in Lahaina, Maui – the first phase of the overall federal cleanup response to the Maui Wildfires.

Currently, crews are continuing repairs to restore an approximate 300 remaining customers in Lahaina, including the Wahikuli area. In the last two weeks, with more areas being cleared for re-entry by emergency response officials, crews restored power to about 350 customers in the Kahoma Village, parts of Puamana and Upper Kapunakea area.

Workers and self-employed individuals, who temporarily or permanently lost their jobs due to the August wildfires and emergency declarations, will be eligible for paid disaster-relief positions and training through a program run by Maui Economic Opportunity.

Council member Tamara Paltin introduced Bill 95 (2023), which she said would exempt properties destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the August wildfires from property taxes and create an incentive for hotels and short-term rentals to house residents displaced by the fires.

Maui United Way, a charitable nonprofit serving Maui for more than 75 years, created and implemented an Emergency Financial Assistance program that received more than 9,000 applications, and has now successfully distributed payments of $1,000 to more than 7,000 individual fire survivors on Maui. Maui United Way has now launched the second round of grants to assist its local Maui nonprofit partners.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, state officials, FEMA and the American Red Cross joined in providing an update on the economic recovery and housing response on Maui following the devastating Aug. 8 wildfires.

Lahaina’s two elementary schools reopened to hundreds of students today on a shared campus that faculty and staff from both schools have worked hard to make as inviting and familiar as possible for their communities impacted by the August wildfires.

The Salvation Army is issuing a call to action, seeking dedicated volunteers for its Maui Disaster Relief Call Center with two Oʻahu locations. In the wake of the recent wildfires that have impacted the Maui community, the Salvation Army is rallying local support to aid residents on Maui. The organization is urgently seeking 15-20 volunteers with excellent communication skills and a passion for community and social services.

To help people like Vierra, Native Hawaiian Matt Jachowski has used his skills as a software developer to create the website Maui Hale Match, which he hopes will make it easier for displaced fire survivors to connect with homeowners and landlords that have available units they can afford. But his data shows the affordability gap is huge.

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, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21, in Zone 14A and 14B. ZONE 14A includes a portion of Front St. ZONE 14B includes portions of: Aholo Rd., Front St., Kaeo Pl., Kahili Pl., Kamano Pl., Kua Pl., Ui Pl.

Lahaina Intermediate School faculty and staff cheered and waved signs as they welcomed approximately 400 students back to their West Maui campus for the first time this academic year.

The Maui Police Department on Monday identified one more victim of the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire: Michael Misaka, 61, of Lahaina.

The County of Maui is identifying fire-damaged or destroyed vehicles found on public roadways and other right-of-way areas following the August 2023 Maui wildfires. County officials say there were an estimated 1,000 vehicles that were in public right-of-way areas following the fires.

Lahainaluna High School faculty and staff welcomed approximately 700 students back to their home campus on Monday for the first time in more than two months since the Maui wildfires.

A team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are sampling West Maui reefs to assess the impact from the toxic ash from the Lahaina wildfire.