Latest Fire Recovery News

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.”

The US Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday began the next phase of the Lahaina recovery effort: removing and disposing of hazardous materials in the 5-square-mile burn area.

The state Department of Education has set a tentative goal of welcoming students back to the three West Maui campuses after fall break in mid-October.

The FBI is using specialized equipment to pick up any belongings or identifiable items to assist in the continuing effort to identify people who remain unaccounted for, from the Aug. 8 fire which leveled most of the town. 

Interim Maui Emergency Management Agency administrator Darryl Oliveira said, now that the ground search is complete, the next step is EPA hazardous waste removal. After that has been completed, crews will start the “Return to Lahaina phase,” which is a re-entry effort.

The State of Hawai‘i and the County of Maui have selected the US Army Corps of Engineers to lead efforts to remove fire-damaged debris from areas across Maui affected by historic wildfires that began on Aug. 8. 

Maui Wildfire Disaster updates for Aug. 29 are posted HERE. An estimated 11,010 FEMA assistance registrations have been received, with some $14.6 million in federal housing and individual assistance provided, according to the County of Maui. According to the governor, there are more than 6,000 people now being temporarily housed in hotels and Airbnb units.

“There will be no survivors that we will discover at this point,” said Gov. Green on Day 20 of recovery following the devastating wildfire in Lahaina. “The seven day mark was significant—that’s when the road opened. The 14 day mark was quite significant because that was the day that everyone got out of the [congregate] shelters. The 20 day mark is very significant, because as you’re hearing, essentially, the search and rescue, at least on land, is done.” Another milestone update is expected at the one month mark.