Latest Fire Recovery News

In a milestone for Maui Nui and Lahaina wildfire recovery, the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation will resume limited commercial boat operations at Lahaina Small Boat Harbor starting Dec. 15, 2025, for the first time since the August 2023 wildfires.

The Maui County Council passed the contentious Bill 9 on first reading Monday, advancing a measure that would phase out thousands of transient vacation rentals currently operating in apartment-zoned districts, mostly in South and West Maui. The measure passed by a vote of 5-3 following a daylong meeting that included hours of emotional public testimony […]

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

The debris call center has closed and infrastructure at the Temporary Debris Storage site has been removed – marking distinct chapters in the ongoing recovery efforts after the 2023 wildfires.

Maui United Way, in partnership with Hā Sustainability, invites residents to participate in a short community survey to help prioritize sites for environmental assessment and cleanup through the Maui United Way Environmental Recovery Initiative.

Marking a significant chapter in rebuilding, the County of Maui Office of Recovery announced that eight families received First-Time Homebuyer Opportunity Program shopping letters today, which allow them to begin shopping for a house within their approved price range.

“We asked the Lahaina and Kula people what they need,” said J Moanikeala Whittle-Wagner of the Office of Academic Affairs as he reflected on how the shed project began. “They replied, ‘we need something to securely store our items on our property while we rebuild so we donʻt have to carry them back and forth every day.’” 

Maui Economic Opportunity offers an array of resources for Maui County residents dealing with the impacts of the federal government shutdown, changes to federal program requirements, 2023 wildfire recovery and general housing and utility crises and has been receiving numerous applications and inquiries about assistance programs.

Hawaiʻi Energy has announced the Maui Residential Rebuild Program, a new partnership with the Hawaiian Council, designed to help wildfire-impacted residents rebuild their homes sustainably and affordably.

The report shows that people with disabilities, both pre-existing and newly acquired after the disaster, continue to face disproportionate hardship two years after the fires. 

George Dacuycuy and his grandson, 21, are among the first applicants to get the go-ahead from the Ho‘okumu Hou first-time homebuyers program.

Residents can do the kind of prep work firefighters would to make their homes defensible, and they can do it long before the threat of fire arrives.

The reach of the Maui Relief TANF Program, which assists residents directly impacted by the 2023 wildfires, has expanded to include households without dependent children and noncitizens following additional funding from the State of Hawaiʻi. The program run by Maui Economic Opportunity in partnership with the state Department of Human Services began operating in the […]

Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

Lahaina Strong announced its 2nd Lahaina Strong Mākeke taking place on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31 from 4:30–8:30 p.m. at the Ka La’i Ola Community, located at 348 Wahikuli Rd.

The remaining truckloads of wildfire debris have been transported from the Temporary Debris Storage site in Olowalu to the Permanent Disposal Site at the Central Maui Landfill.

The grand opening and blessing of Kaiāulu o Kūku‘ia Thursday morning marked an emotional milestone in West Maui’s recovery, becoming the first newly built, permanent multifamily affordable housing project to open for local families since the August 2023 wildfires. The complex includes Hawai‘i’s first Bezos Academy preschool.

As part of their quarterly “Manaʻo on The Mountain” Community Potluck series, Kula-based nonprofit, Mālama Kula, will be hosting Department of Water Supply Chief Engineer James Jensen, for an Oct. 22 discussion on Upcountryʻs water system, and where Kula gets its water from.

On Oct. 6, the Board of Directors of Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Long Term Recovery Group hosted a site blessing ceremony for Ho‘ōla Hale. The building, located at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church’s Sacred Hearts School, will serve temporarily as housing and operations headquarters for Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers, who will dedicate their time and skills to rebuilding homes for Lahaina wildfire survivors.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce has launched an economic impact survey to gather critical information needed for the rebuilding of Lahaina Harbor.