Fire Survivor Resources

The State of Hawaiʻi and Maui County have launched the Maui Disaster Support Call Center to provide a central assistance hub for community members affected by the Maui wildfires.

Department officials tell Maui Now that of the more than 1,700 outstanding students, some may have moved out of state, enrolled in private schools, or have taken a pause while they await the reopening of their Lahaina campus.

The state Department of Health’s Maui District Health Office continues its response to the Maui wildfires. Through its Maui District Health Office and local partners, the Department provided updates on behavioral health services, emergency prescription assistance, unsafe water advisories, and the prevention of respiratory and vector-borne diseases.

To meet survivors’ needs, teams are going to neighborhoods, visiting temporary housing sites and are making themselves available to answer questions at Disaster Recovery Centers.

Less than one-third (29%) of those surveyed have yet to create a comprehensive emergency plan for natural disasters, while just 1 in 10 have embraced modern tools such as disaster-related apps or text notifications from official national disaster resource agencies. And only 10% of older adults follow national disaster resource organizations on social media such as FEMA, American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

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.

Homeowners and renters whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed by the fires may apply for up to $3,000 in initial assistance per household. Applications are open through Dec. 31, 2023, and are available at https://www.hawaiirealtors.com/mauirelief/.

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.  

Starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow, a shower trailer with one shower stall and one washer and dryer will be available for public use in the parking lot of Anytime Fitness at 24 Kiopaa St. in Makawao.

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.

With more than 9,000 members on Maui, AlohaCare has coordinated with client DHS Med-QUEST, other Medicaid health plans, providers and Maui staff to ease the hardship and create flexible options for affected members. 

Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners will lead a statewide, one-day vigil on Friday, Sept. 1, to aid the emotional and spiritual healing of those on Maui who suffered devastating loss from wildfires that swept through Lahaina and other areas of the island. “There’s an urgent need for prayer, cleansing, and reflection so that together, we can help Maui and Hawai‘i heal,” Holt-Padilla said. “This vigil will help to create a space for grief and healing and the opportunity for Hawai‘i to be united.”

ALTRES Foundation today announced it has launched an online portal for unemployed Maui workers affected by the unprecedented wildfires. The newly launched portal, HireMaui.org, went live on Aug. 28, and offers a way for displaced Maui workers to connect with job vacancies offered by businesses statewide.

The Disaster Legal Hotline is a FREE legal hotline to provide legal assistance to the residents of Maui and the Big Island and any others adversely affected by the wildfires. People can call toll free 888-533-2773 to speak to a volunteer attorney.

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.

The Consulate of Peru is processing passport and identification replacements for nationals impacted by the wildfires on Aug. 28 and 29 at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

AirMedCare Network, a national air ambulance membership network, announced Monday it has implemented a 120-day grace period for active subscribers in Maui whose memberships are expiring within that time frame.

The funds allow the Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide people with temporary jobs focused on cleaning up debris and repairing damage caused by the fires, and providing humanitarian assistance to the wildfire survivors.

Central Pacific Bank announced the Lahaina Branch will reopen to serve the West Maui community on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. The branch, which has been closed since Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, will provide a full range of business and personal banking services when it reopens on Monday.