Fire Survivor Resources

The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance has passed; however, Hawaiʻi residents and businesses have been granted a 45-day grace period, until Thursday, Jan. 25, to submit their US Small Business Administration disaster loan applications for property damage caused by wildfires. 

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least March 5, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to the announcement.

The collective effort, called the “Maui Interim Housing Plan” commits to securing a pool of 3,000 housing units with 18-month commitments to provide a stable place for households displaced by the Maui fires, currently residing in short-term hotels.

The Pūlama nā ‘Ohana team from Maui Behavioral Health Resources has been working in the community for the past several months to provide assistance to those effected by the Maui wildfires.

A team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers are asking Maui residents to participate in a study to analyze the short- and long-term health effects of exposure to the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and parts of Kula. Registration begins Jan. 5, 2024.

The site is designed for 600 students and features 30 planned classrooms. As of Christmas, 17 classrooms were already in place. The entrance to the 10 acre site is via Akahele Street below the Kapalua Airport.

The 2024 filing deadline for numerous real property tax exemption claims and applications this year is Jan. 2, 2024, due to County of Maui offices being closed for New Year’s Day.

“These devices play a crucial role in facilitating the processing of FEMA paperwork, unemployment claims, insurance matters, as well as aiding in education, housing, and employment searches, accessing support services, and maintaining connections with family and friends,” according to organization leaders.

Effective Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, operational hours will be modified for the Lahaina Disaster Recovery Center. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency warns the public of online classified advertisements that are luring Maui wildfire survivors with false offers of available rental units. “People are learning too late that the cash they paid for a security deposit went to a scammer instead,” according to a FEMA news release.

The nonprofit foundation, For Children to Flourish, is funding and organizing Trilogy Catamaran trips for families impacted by the August wildfire in Lahaina.

In observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, County of Maui disaster-related resources will have a modified schedule. 

FEMA will pause operations at the Lahaina Disaster Recovery Center on Maui and the FEMA Helpline on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Maui Relief TANF Program has provided an array of assistance – from housing to clothing – to more than 450 families with children and about 1,700 individuals impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires in the two months since the program began.

County of Maui Department of Water Supply amended the Unsafe Water Advisory for Lahaina to remove L-4C, an area surrounding Safeway that moves north along Front Street to the Old Chart House in Lahaina. Water serving buildings and homes in areas L-4C on the Maui Recovers website is declared safe for unrestricted use effective today, Dec. 21, 2023.

In response to the August fires on Maui, UVSC announced additional efforts to help cancer patients that are dealing with trauma and loss caused by the devastation of the fires and financial challenges from their cancer diagnosis.

Even though the federal deadline to apply for wildfire damage or losses has passed, Hawaiʻi residents and businesses have been granted a 45-day grace period, until Thursday, Jan. 25, to submit SBA loan applications for physical property damage caused by the wildfires. The last day for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private nonprofit organizations to apply for an SBA economic injury disaster loan is Friday, May 10, 2024.

Chef Hui and Maui Brewing Co., in collaboration with community partners, are hosting the inaugural Johnny Baldwin Keiki Christmas Beach Bash at Outrigger Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel on Dec. 16 to support displaced families in West Maui.

Residents previously scheduled to relocate to new American Red Cross non-congregate shelter locations between Dec. 15 and Dec. 18 have been extended in their current hotel sheltering locations until after the holidays, according to a Red Cross update.

The program is dedicated to Native Hawaiian families that experienced transportation loss due to the Maui wildfires in August 2023. The program provides vehicle financing with deferred payments for 12 months and a one time grant of up to $5,000 to replace a vehicle lost in the fires.