The County of Maui Office of Recovery will host an additional community information session online from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to present finalized policies for the upcoming Hoʻokumu Hou housing programs.

Just two years after the devastating wildfires, the Lahaina Community Land Trust is fighting what it calls a ‘second disaster’: the loss of a local community with deep generational roots to post-fire gentrification. The group announced Thursday it has secured 13 parcels of land, paving the way for up to 34 new housing units to be built and kept in local hands.

Deaths by suicide and drug overdose significantly increased in the aftermath of the August 2023 Maui wildfire, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The study found that while many survivors still report lingering symptoms, those with stronger social support networks experienced better mental health and resilience, even in the face of hardship.

Since November 2023, the DCMP has worked to help survivors navigate their recovery by connecting them with specially trained disaster case managers (DCMs) to help assess and address their needs through a disaster recovery plan, which includes resources, decision-making priorities, providing guidance and tools. To date, the DCMP has helped more than 6,600 survivors, providing more than 12,800 direct referrals to community resources and services worth more than $140 million.

The Credit Union Wildfire Relief Fund, representing a coalition of Maui’s six chartered credit unions, has donated $153,000 to the Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group to support ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. The funds will directly assist families rebuilding their homes by covering insurance gaps in upcoming Mennonite Disaster Service construction projects.

Through the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program funded by the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), 90 homeowners in Lahaina and Kula have been able to complete property surveys at no cost. By the end of this month, another 66 surveys will be completed. That means 156 homeowners can now apply for permits to begin their rebuilds—with funds still available for another 544 applicants. 

Hauling in Kahului will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 5. On Wednesday, Aug. 6 from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., modular homes will be delivered to Lahaina.

“The public information, or lack thereof, causes tremendous angst and panic, and we wanted to ensure that we improve in that area,” MEMA Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett said.

The Maui Police Department has announced the release of the final After-Action Report (AAR) regarding the wildfires that occurred on Aug. 8, 2023. This report provides a comprehensive review of the department’s response and outlines 35 recommendations for improving future emergency operations.

The mass evacuations, business closures and frequent warnings from government officials about Tuesday’s tsunami warning reflect the serious approach to potential disasters two years after the deadly fires on Maui.

As part of their ongoing efforts to help residents recover from the 2023 Kula Fire, Mālama Kula, will hold a Community Work Day on the morning of Aug. 8, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Due to a traffic light outage on Maui Veterans Highway early this morning, Lahaina wildfire debris transfer trucks are utilizing an alternate route until 6 p.m. today, Monday, July 28, 2025.

Kaibigan ng Lahaina, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and resilience of Filipino and immigrant communities impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires, launched their Padigo Project with their first food distribution event held on June 13, 2025. 

The County of Maui Office of Recovery will be hosting a series of community meetings on July 30 and Aug. 1, 2025, leading up to the opening of Hoʻokumu Hou program applications on Aug. 11. Newly named Hoʻokumu Hou, which will cover all of the County’s recovery programs funded by federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, will focus on housing initiatives intended to help wildfire survivors receive the means they need to stay, or return, home.

The 88-unit temporary housing complex for fire survivors has taken 1 1/2 years longer to build that expected, and risen in cost from $14 to $20 million, but the need for it has not diminished.

The indictment alleges that Harris and Johnson conspired with each other and carried out a wire fraud scheme, wherein they are accused of submitting false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming to have suffered income, housing, and property losses as a result of two federal disasters, when, as Harris and Johnson both knew, they did not live in the disaster area or suffer any such losses.

The West Maui Temporary Debris Storage (TDS) site environmental monitoring quarterly report for the sixth 90-day operational period shows the findings from sampling and monitoring are in compliance with county, state and federal environmental regulations.

Local partners of the Lahaina Energy Partnership have released the “Community-Identified Energy Pathways Report.” The LEP invites all community members to join the Phase 2 Kickoff Co-Design Workshop on July 24, 2025, to continue shaping a resilient, community-guided energy plan for Lahaina.

The Hoʻōla Maui Long Term Recovery Group announced the launch of its expanded Disaster Case Management and Survivor Support program, designed to provide holistic comprehensive, culturally-sensitive assistance to those affected by the Lahaina wildfire, regardless of their FEMA application status.