Latest Fire Recovery News

Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz, along with House Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, have called on US Citizenship and Immigration Services to expand efforts in aiding immigrant community members impacted by the Maui wildfires.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier discussed the department’s response to the devastating wildfire in Lahaina on Aug. 8 that left a burn scar covering 2,170 acres, destroyed more than 2,200 structures in its path, and claimed at least 115 lives.

President Joe Biden sent an updated request to Congress to increase the supplemental Disaster Relief Fund by $4 billion, bringing the new request total to $16 billion. Congress is set to consider the funding request In the coming weeks.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board of Directors took decisive action at its monthly board meeting Thursday to approve $2.6 million in funding to launch the Maui Marketing Recovery Plan. The plan is centered around a new Mālama Maui campaign and prioritizes rebuilding travel demand from the United States market to Maui in the wake of the devastating Lahaina wildfires.

A Disaster Recovery Center will open Friday, Sept. 1, in Lahaina to help residents who were affected by the wildfires learn about local, state and federal assistance programs.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne E. Lopez has selected UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute to assess the policies and performance of state and county agencies in preparation and response to the deadly and destructive Maui wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen offered a video message on Thursday evening, with remarks related to the Maui wildfire disaster. In his address, he provided further insight into the timeline relating to the Aug. 8 wildfire in Lahaina.

Hawaiian Electric has stationed active monitors who are physically surveying electrical infrastructure in more than 30 areas identified as high wildfire risk in Maui County, on Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to help to ensure safe and reliable service during current Red Flag Warning.

Communities across Hawaiʻi are joining in Kīpuni Aloha no Maui, a daylong vigil on Sept. 1 that centers on emotional and spiritual healing and cleansing for the great loss that so many are suffering on Maui.

The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization issued a new report, “After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.” The report finds that businesses in Lahaina generated more than $70 million per month in revenue and they employed about 8,500 individuals. Roughly 2,000 homes in Lahaina were lost in the fire, representing 3% of Maui’s entire residential housing stock. Residential structures within the burned area were valued at $550 million.

In response to the devastating wildfires and immediate needs in the community, media moguls Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson announced the establishment of “People’s Fund of Maui” to distribute cash directly to those who were displaced and affected by the fire. The fund is launching with an initial $10 million donated by Winfrey and Johnson and a call to action for others to contribute to this meaningful and ongoing relief effort. 

Upcountry wildfire survivors discussed the loss of their homes and the unwavering support of community volunteers who came to their aid in the days following disastrous wildfires on Maui. “It only takes a spark to start a fire. Sometimes you just need that one little spark to get a response going, and the community has been the fuel for that,” said volunteer, Kyle Ellison.

US Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) announced a shared legislative priority for Congress to approve funding for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund as Maui continues recovery from the Aug. 8 deadly wildfire in Lahaina.

“Due to the old infrastructure of Lahaina, storm water does not flow into settling basins or modern infrastructure, so it flows as quickly as possible into the ocean. So, that’s a huge concern with the amount of potentially toxic substances on the land now,” said Russell Sparks, an aquatic biologist with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources.

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 30 are posted HERE. Maui police plan to release an updated list on Friday, of unaccounted for individuals from the Lahaina wildfire disaster. Multiple lists were merged into a pool of more than 1,000 names earlier in the investigation.  That was narrowed to 388 last week to focus on individuals where a first and last name was available as well as a verified contact number for the person who reported them missing.

President Biden announced the Department of Energy is providing $95 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to harden Hawaiʻi’s electric grid. The funding will replace wooden poles with fire-resistant material and strengthen critical transmission lines, including two on Maui.

Maui United Way’s Emergency Financial Assistance program has received more than 7,000 unique individual requests for financial help. The program offered a one-time $1,000 financial assistance payment, not to exceed $5,000 per household, for adult fire survivors living in the impacted fire zones in Lahaina and Kula. It was made possible by the many generous donations from local kamaʻāina, mainland friends, and people from around the world.  

Three weeks after the devastation of Lahaina, crews are still working to recover and to strengthen defenses against windstorms and wildfires. With high winds and severe drought conditions continuing to threaten parts of Maui, the trio vowed to work together to minimize the risk of wildfire and ensure public safety.

Congressional leaders are focusing on supplemental appropriations needed to help rebuild Lahaina Town, according to US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi) who is visiting Maui for assessments in the wake of the Aug. 8 wildfire disaster.

Talks are underway with officials from the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency and all four counties about codifying a new emergency response protocol to use sirens during wildfires everywhere in the state. It could become official “within days.”