Fire Survivor Resources

Kaiser Permanente will be consolidating its three medical first aid stations into a single West Maui location at the Royal Lahaina Resort beginning Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.  

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.

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.

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.

The nonprofit Feed My Sheep organization has stepped up during the aftermath of Maui’s wildfires to provide food for those experiencing unexpected need. While the organization was already mobilized to serve households at or near the poverty line, the service extended its reach to those displaced by the Maui fires.

Families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) impacted by the Maui wildfires will now have an easier time finding infant formula and food substitutions.

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.

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 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

Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi hosts Maui Strong Support Groups Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku.

Private nonprofits and government organizations seeking Federal Emergency Management Administration public assistance funding can learn more about how to apply at informational briefings this month on Maui and online.

The team has collected water samples from Kula and Lahaina that are being tested for contaminants in labs on Maui and Oʻahu. Ten samples had been tested as of Aug. 27 and about 60 more are headed to the labs.

Doctors On Call Urgent Care and Walk-In Centers announced the addition of Dr. Vince Fussell to its staff on Maui. Dr. Fussell is a Family Practitioner and Urgent Care Specialist who will be seeing Maui patients and families immediately at both the Times Market West Maui Doctors On Call location as well as the Kīhei/Wailea DOC offices at the Shops at Wailea.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education will begin free bus service on Thursday, Sept. 14, for Lahainaluna High students to their temporary school site at the Kūlanihākoʻi High School campus in Kīhei.

The presence of toluene was detected after the Upper Kula Wildfire in August of 2023. This strongly suggests its presence was an artifact of the wildfire impacting the surface water source for the Upper Kula Treatment Plant, according to the DOH. Further monitoring is planned by MDWS at the Upper Kula Treatment Plant.

The US Department of Agriculture announced that households impacted by wildfires in Hawaiʻi could be eligible for replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits. This step was taken to ensure those in need who were impacted by the Hawaiʻi wildfires have food to eat.

As Maui residents prepare to repair, rebuild and retrofit their homes after the Aug. 8 wildfires, FEMA has teamed up with the Home Depot in Kahului to provide free information and tips on how to make homes stronger and safer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 2,300 cancer survivors and current cancer patients were living in the areas of Maui affected by the wildfires. To help patients deal with trauma and loss caused by their cancer diagnosis and the devastation of the fires, ACS is teaming up with Maui Cancer Resources to offer group therapy sessions.

The goal is to help as many families as possible rebuild their photo collections and create some smiles, laughter and normalcy after tragedy.  The project currently has six photographers signed up to provide services, with more joining each day.

As of today, $83.78 million in federal assistance has been approved for more than 5,090 households. This includes housing and other needs assistance and Small Business Association disaster loans. There were 7,282 people housed at 32 locations around Maui, in coordination with the American Red Cross. The EPA has completed removal of hazardous material at 433 properties in total.