Latest Fire Recovery News

The first 60 students of a free Maui workforce development program began classes on Friday to learn skills that will help them land fire recovery jobs.

To measure the longterm affects of the Lahaina fire on nearby ocean waters, scientists are using three sophisticated sampling instruments that are on loan from the US Geological Survey.

Unified Command has completed the search for sunken, derelict or displaced vessels, along with associated marine debris from the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire, and has identified 78 “targets.”

“As we continue to assess the needs of Maui’s people and how they envision rebuilding for the future, a Tourism Recovery Plan is critical to supporting Maui’s revival and the state’s immediate, mid-term, and long-term recovery efforts,” said Mahina Paishon-Duarte, Chair of the Disaster Response Permitted Interaction Group and HTA Board Vice Chair.

Residents of Maui who were affected by the Aug. 8 wildfires and received an initial rental assistance from FEMA may be eligible for continued rental assistance. 

The data available have not yet been validated. As contaminants are present in dust and ash, proper precautions should be taken when in the impacted area to avoid exposure.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education has established “active contact” with nearly 94% of families who had students enrolled at public schools in West Maui prior to the Aug. 8 wildfires. That translates to 191 families where active contact has not yet been achieved, and includes families for which a message was left, but there […]

Maui police revised the death toll of the individuals killed in the Aug. 8 wildfire to 97, down from previous reports of 115; and say the number of individuals unaccounted for has also dropped to 31, down from 66 last week.

The Maui Police Department released the names of two more victims from the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire. Police today confirmed the identity of: Marilou Dias, 60; and June Anbe, 78, both of Lahaina.

Kaiser Permanente will be consolidating its three medical first aid stations into a single West Maui location at the Royal Lahaina Resort beginning Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.  

The sign was created as a paid partnership between the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center and Manafacture, owners of the Na Koa Brand which also has a store at the mall. The business designed and created the sign, and Artisan Events Maui installed the work. 

To date, more than 320 Maui-residents have registered for the free program that will include certification classes in HAZWOPER, OSHA, CDL, and others. Orientation classes for the first 60 students begins today.

This year’s Maui Invitational will shift to the island of Oʻahu while its traditional home court – the Lahaina Civic Center – continues to serve as a critical hub for Maui wildfire recovery efforts. The 2023 Tournament will take place at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa from Nov. 20 to 22. 

Taking into consideration the safety and emotional well-being of people, Maui County announced its much-anticipated reentry plan into the five-square-mile impact zone of the deadly Aug. 8 Lahaina fire.

An estimated 500 Lahainaluna High School students reported Thursday to their temporary school site at Kūlanihākoʻi High for their first day of in-person instruction. Lahainaluna students were welcomed by Kūlanihākoʻi students and staff cheering and waving signs at the drop-off area on campus.

The Hawai‘i Department of Human Services will launch the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) on Sept. 18, 2023, through Sept. 23, 2023, for households directly impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in Kula and Lahaina on Maui.

The US House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing later this month on the deadly Maui wildfires that claimed the lives of at least 115 people, with many still unaccounted for. The Aug. 8 tragedy that wiped out five square miles of homes and businesses in Lahaina is considered the deadliest fire in modern US history.

FEMA and the US Small Business Administration have approved more than $89.25 million in federal assistance to survivors of the Maui wildfires that began Aug. 8. The last day to register for Red Cross sheltering assistance is Friday, Sept. 15. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance and a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Residents who lost their job as a direct result of the Maui wildfires and live or work in Maui County have until Monday, Sept. 25, to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

When schools reopen after fall break, the immediate plan is for King Kamehameha III Elementary students and staff to share a campus with Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary while a future temporary site for the school is planned.

The Maui Police Department released the names of two more victims from the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire. Police today confirmed the identity of: Keyiro Fuentes, 14, and Maurice Buen, 79, both of Lahaina.