Latest Fire Recovery News

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.

A total of 464 Lahaina properties have been cleared by EPA of household hazardous materials. Two business zones re-opened on Wednesday, Sept. 13: Lahaina Cannery parcel and a business area that some know as Lahaina Business Park.

Young Brothers has shipped much cargo for Maui fire relief efforts, including a mobile medial unit and communications trailer for Kaiser Permanente.

Properties with inactive service should NOT flush toilets, allow water down drains even if service appears operable. Although a toilet may appear to continue to flush and water may drain initially, if the service is not active, the property will risk eventual sewage backing up within the home or business.

Council member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins announced today that the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet in the Council Chamber on Monday, Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. and on Sept. 27 at The Westin Maui Resort and Spa in Kāʻanapali, to discuss a resolution to develop a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August wildfires.

FEMA is hiring on Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is seeking writers, liaisons, planners, historic preservation and geospatial information specialists, and digital communications specialists, to name a few. Four job fairs will be held Sept. 14-17 in Kahului, Lahaina and Wailuku.

As of 10 a.m. on Sept. 13, County of Maui Disaster Area Restrictions have been lifted for Business Zones 5B and 5E, which includes the Lahaina Cannery Mall parcel and the business area of Kupuohi and Ulupono streets.

“Most of the 13 boats, as well as the pier they’re tied to, appear to be largely untouched by the flames of Aug. 8,” according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. “One boat, the Reel Luckey, the last name of its owners, is a metaphor for the line of white vessels, still afloat in stark contrast to the blackened landscape, buildings, and harbor structures.”

US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned a panel of experts about how artificial intelligence (AI) has reportedly been used to spread disinformation and sow mistrust in the federal government during times of disaster, specifically in the wake of the Maui wildfires.

Effective Sept. 12, 2023, the Department of Water Supply announces that the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula has been amended to remove Zone 1 from the affected area. Water serving homes and buildings in Zone 1 has been determined to be safe for unrestricted use. To determine if your address is in a specific zone, please refer to the interactive map at the following link:  Zone Map

The Maui Police Department released the name of one more victim from the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire. Police today confirmed the identity of: Buddy Carter, 85, of Lahaina.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will be offering a distance learning hub for K-8 Lahaina students starting Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 at Citizen Church located at 4275 Hine Way in Lahaina. The learning hub will provide distance learning students with in-person opportunities for teacher support and peer socialization, as well as access to meals, recess, social-emotional learning and other resources.  Two additional learning hubs in the works for West Maui students