Latest Fire Recovery News

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that it has amended the Sewer Service Status from “red,” which indicates a property does not currently have active sewer service, to “green,” meaning the sewer service is active for a property, in the following area: Seven lots near Kahula Place and the southern end of Lahainaluna Road.

As New Zealand-based disaster relief group Taskforce Kiwi closes out its second year of operations, an initial rotation of skilled volunteers have departed for Hawaiʻi to support with wildfire recovery on the island of Maui.

A new sculpture in Lahaina is providing a space for peaceful remembrance.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation today announced a monumental donation of $672,076.98 from the Hawai‘i United Okinawa Association to its Maui Strong Fund. The majority of the gift comes directly from residents who donated at various city halls throughout the prefecture, as well as from businesses, and elected leaders in Okinawa. The effort was coordinated by the Yuimaaru Maui fundraising campaign with HUOA’s sister organization Okinawa Hawai‘i Kyokai.

The County of Maui has amended the process for obtaining the Consolidated Debris Removal Closeout Package for properties affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in Lahaina and Kula.

The Lahaina Community Land Trust (LCLT) has secured its first parcel of community-owned land, that will be held in Lahaina hands forever, for the benefit of the local community for generations to come. The property at 1651 Lokia Street was secured by the LCLT in partnership with The Conservation Fund, a national land conservation organization. Once construction is complete, a homeowner will be chosen through a lottery system currently being developed by LCLT and its advisory board of Maui Komohana community leaders.

Calling it their love letter to Lahaina and to Maui, nearly 150 Kamehameha Schools Kapālama fifth-grade students shared their live stage production “Ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele: The Shaded Breadfruit Grove of Lele,” with the Maui community on Saturday, Aug. 10 at Baldwin High School auditorium in Wailuku. The one-of-a-kind show explored Lahaina’s rich history […]

The meeting will feature a presentation by representatives of the Lahaina Community Land Trust, updates on water and wastewater progress and highlights from the recent Kuhinia Maui gatherings. Col. Eric Swenson, US Army Corps of Engineers Recovery Field Office Commander, will introduce Lt. Col. Collin Jones who will this week assume oversight of USACE operations in Lahaina’s recovery as Col. Swenson completes his sixth-month assignment to Maui.

TY Management Corporation welcomes the opening of Kapalua Village, the first privately funded temporary housing community for Kapalua golf course and other Kapalua-based employees who were impacted by the devastating Lahaina, Maui wildfires. The opening of Kapalua Village coincides with the one-year remembrance of the wildfires and the first group of families is scheduled to move in this month.

Day of Hope and Prayer was highlighted by a heartfelt musical and artistic performance by ʻUlalena, a beloved Lahaina-based group that headlined Lahaina’s Maui Theater for two decades. With many original cast and crew members, the ʻUlalena throwback performance Sunday brought hopeful tears, and standing ovations.

After marking one year since devastating wildfires swept through West Maui and Upcountry, state, county and federal leaders gathered to recap response and ongoing recovery. The fires destroying the town of Lahaina, claiming the lives of 102 people and leaving thousands displaced. The process toward recovery is ongoing with housing of wildfire survivors remaining a key focal point.

A ground blessing ceremony was held on Friday at Wahikuli Park, marking the start of a critical sewer line installation at the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing site in Lahaina. This project is part of the utility preparation for Kilohana, which will provide longer-term housing for survivors of the August 2023 Maui wildfires. The Kilohana site, which will soon feature 169 FEMA-procured modular housing units, ranging from one to three bedrooms.

Maui County Council members held space on Thursday for reflection and solace in honor of the West Maui and Upcountry communities following the August 2023 wildfires. Council Chair Alice L. Lee said the one-year anniversary of the wildfires was one of many times Maui County residents have gathered to support and uplift each other. Remembrance […]

A number of special events marking one year after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires takes place this week, paying tribute to the 102 victims and the two that remain missing. The events are designed to honor the resiliency of a community that has faced crisis and heartbreaking tragedy, and offer residents opportunities to gather in healing and shared support.

“We got a request for help late on the night of Aug. 8, 2023, and we deployed a boat and three personal watercraft from the Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor. Normally the 13-mile trip takes a half hour. With hurricane force winds in our face and very rough sea conditions it took us more than an hour to get to Lahaina,” said DOCARE Lt. Jeff Kinores.

Several hundred people paddled surfboards and canoes, and hundreds more watched from shore at Hanaka‘ō‘ō Beach Park on Thursday morning in a Lahaina Paddle Out event to commemorate lives lost and changed forever by the Lahaina wildfire disaster a year ago.

In the aftermath of the devastating Maui wildfires, two University of Hawaiʻi Maui College students are helping their community recover under the guidance of UH Mānoa and UH Maui College faculty members.

Nine-year-old Maddie Ellner felt heartbroken to read about last year’s Maui wildfires, the destruction of the Lahaina Library and, especially, keiki who lost everything. The Orange County resident decided to take action: collect used books from family and friends to replace books lost on Maui in the wildfires, or be sold to buy new books.

As state, county and federal leaders gathered to reflect on the one year mark since the devastating Maui wildfires, Gov. Josh Green, M.D. announced he signed papers to “purposefully transition” Mokuʻula from the state to Maui County for its cultural restoration.

On Aug, 8, 2023, strong winds drove wildfires out of control on Maui– resulting in the worst natural disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history and one of the worst American wildfires of the last century. Nearly all of the town of Lahaina was destroyed, and Kula was significantly damaged. 3,971 properties, including homes, businesses, and schools were destroyed. The property damage was estimated to be as high as $6 billion. A staggering 102 lives were lost.  The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services has since released a One Year of Progress: Recovery and Healing from the Maui Wildfires report.