#John Smith

Property owners whose homes were destroyed by the Lahaina fire in 2023 have until Aug. 31 to apply for reconstruction and reimbursement programs.

A free workshop focused on the unique challenges of rebuilding within Lahaina’s historic districts is set for 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Morgado Hall. The Commercial Property Workshop: Historic District Recovery, hosted by the Maui County Office of Recovery, is geared toward commercial property owners in Lahaina Historic […]

Established by Mayor Richard Bissen in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires, the County of Maui Office of Recovery is taking on the County’s long-term recovery efforts from subsequent emergencies and natural disasters, such as the recent kona storms.

While Maui County braces for more severe weather, council members are poised to take action Friday morning on a $15 million request for emergency funding, following a Wednesday committee update on the effort to rebuild from the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire disaster.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites commercial property owners who lost property in Lahaina during the 2023 Maui wildfires to attend a dedicated commercial permitting workshop on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Morgado Hall at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.

Maui County hopes to launch a program to buy properties makai of Front Street and create a connected waterfront to protect against flooding and create more open space and shoreline access.

With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available.

Maui County reached a significant benchmark in its recovery from the 2023 wildfires this week as rebuilding of the 100th structure was completed, the County of Maui Department of Public Works Development Services Administration announced Tuesday.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery is encouraging all wildfire survivors to connect with a Disaster Case Manager (DCM), if they have not already done so, to take advantage of critical recovery support and guidance.

Of the 446 applications already filed, 76% are for the first-time homebuyer program, reflecting the impact of the August 2023 wildfires on renters and the ongoing struggle of residents to afford a home in today’s pricey market.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery has opened applications for its Hoʻokumu Hou housing programs supported by Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.

The federal funding will be available to help residents rebuild or afford a home for the first time in Lahaina or Kula, with . applications opening in August.

Plan on track to be submitted this week, with applications taken for programs in the summer.

Congress’ $1.6 billion in federal wildfire disaster relief funding falls more than four times short of Maui’s unmet needs, now estimated at almost $7.7 billion in the aftermath of the August 2023 wildfire disaster. The original damage estimate was $5.52 billion.

A waiver of special management area rules for Lahaina wildfire survivors is expected to reduce rebuilding permit processing by about a year, speeding reconstruction and economic recovery for the West Maui community impacted by the deadly Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

The County of Maui was recently awarded a $15.43 million grant from the federal government to support the first phase of the West Maui Greenway, a project that will contribute to several key areas of Lahaina’s recovery from the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Mayor Richard Bissen announced the selection of John Smith, a leader with the County of Maui’s Department of Public Works, to serve as the new administrator of the County’s Office of Recovery. County officials say Smith has been instrumental in leading infrastructure restoration efforts following the recent wildfires. In his new capacity, he will now oversee the County’s comprehensive recovery efforts.

Mayor Richard Bissen joined Maui’s state, county and community leaders at After the Fire USA’s 2024 Wildfire Leadership Summit last week in Sonoma, Calif. Together, they shared updates on Maui’s wildfire recovery efforts and gathered valuable insights from other jurisdictions affected by similar disasters.

Another individual has been arrested in connection with an ongoing police investigation into the discovery by hunters of a body wrapped in plastic in a remote area of Kula earlier this month.

May they rest in peace. Maui Obituaries for the week of Oct. 23, 2016. Brought to you in part by Ballard Family Mortuaries