Latest Fire Recovery News

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called for additional disaster relief funding when Congress returns in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors on Maui and in other disaster-impacted communities with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. The said this will enable them to rebuild their homes and communities as quickly as possible.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies, has completed debris removal from all residential properties devastated by the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina. The milestone marks the return of 1,390 completed residential properties to the County of Maui. Property owners are now able to apply for building permits as part of the next phase in the rebuilding process.

As West Maui rebuilds from the 2023 wildfires, Kā‘anapali Beach Resort has expanded its commitment to restoring the region’s ecosystem through Treecovery’s reforestation efforts. With four new grow hubs across the resort and more than 1,600 trees donated, Kā‘anapali Beach Resort is nurturing the community’s long-term ecological and cultural resilience.

The County of Maui Department of Planning launched an expedited Special Management Area exemption process for parcels in the Lahaina Disaster Area.  The link went live Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, and the Planning Department has 20 exemptions in the pipeline. 

The meeting will include a status report on debris clearing by the US Army Corps of Engineers, a Hawaiʻi Department of Education update on Kamehameha III Elementary School, and an Environmental Protection Agency update on Wahikuli cesspool inspections and information on the agency’s new sewer line design project. 

Elizabeth Pickett, the long-time co-executive director of the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO) was honored today at a ceremony in New York City, as one of the 2024 Grist 50. Grist bills itself as the only newsroom focused on finding solutions at the intersection of climate and justice.

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development, in collaboration with local partners and nonprofits, has launched the West Maui Business Center and online business portal www.WestMauiBusinessCenter.org to aid local businesses directly and indirectly impacted by the August 2023 wildfires. 

Mayor Richard Bissen joined Maui’s state, county and community leaders at After the Fire USA’s 2024 Wildfire Leadership Summit last week in Sonoma, Calif. Together, they shared updates on Maui’s wildfire recovery efforts and gathered valuable insights from other jurisdictions affected by similar disasters.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) announces the launch of the Stronger Hawaiʻi initiative, designed to provide critical disaster recovery resources for communities across the state. In response to the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires and other statewide disasters, the initiative offers real-time information, partner-driven resources, and important updates from community organizations. With over $110 million in grants distributed to nearly 200 organizations in the last year, HCF is leveraging its extensive partnerships to help residents navigate essential services, resources and information.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Historical Preservation Division has named Jessica Puff as it’s new lead, succeeding Dr. Alan Downer who retired earlier this year. Since October 2022, Puff has served as the SHPD Architecture Branch Chief.

The Credit Unions of Maui and Lānaʻi recently dispersed $300,000 to the Homeaid Ka Laʻi Ola housing development. Ka La’i Ola is being built for residents impacted by the August 2023 wildfire that destroyed Lahaina town.

The Lahaina Community Land Trust will be on hand at an upcoming community workshop hosted by the Maui Construction Industry Coalition. The workshop takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Lahainaluna Intermediate School cafeteria.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation notifies highway users of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina, beginning Friday night, Sept. 20 through Tuesday night, Sept. 24. 

H.R. 8219, the Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act, would direct the National Park Service, in consultation with state and local partners, to study the suitability and feasibility of a National Heritage Area designation for Lahaina. These areas are designated by Congress to complement state and local conservation efforts through recognition, federal funding, and technical assistance.

Maui’s economy will only gradually recover from its post-wildfire downturn while visitor industries in other counties across the state will continue to operate at high levels, according to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s (UHERO) third quarter forecast for 2024.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” to “green,” for several lots near Mill and Kuhua streets.

In a testament to their unwavering commitment to help residents recover after the 2023 Kula fire, the grassroots nonprofit, Mālama Kula, completed their goal of 30 straight community work days during the month of August as their way of commemorating the one year anniversary of the fire that claimed 20 homes in Kula and scorched 202 acres of land. 

Hawaiian Electric is raising awareness about its drone operations after one of its contracted drones was damaged while midair, downing the tool as it was being used to inspect overhead lines on Maui last week. Company representatives say the drone was purposely targeted. As part of its ongoing wildfire safety strategy, Hawaiian Electric is using unmanned aircrafts, or drones, for aerial inspections within Maui County, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to inspect its electrical infrastructure in identified wildfire risk areas.

US Sen. Brian Schatz led 10 bipartisan senators on Friday in calling for additional disaster relief funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund and Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) ahead of the governments’ Sept. 30 funding deadline.

Maui County Council members unanimously approved on second-and-final reading a bill for conditional change of zoning from residential to public/quasi-public for Grace Baptist Church. Last year’s wildfire destroyed the longtime church, and members of its congregation are eager to rebuild.