#Lāhainā wildfire

The Maui Planning Commission is wrestling with a precedent-setting decision on the first special management area permit for reconstruction of an oceanfront Front Street home destroyed in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, after concluding public testimony Tuesday.

As part of its commitment to the revitalization of Lahaina following the August 2023 wildfires, the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College will once again provide tuition support for eligible graduates entering college this coming Fall 2025 Semester.

Project Vision Hawaiʻi announced the launch of its newest Hiehie mobile hygiene trailer on Maui, designed to provide free, hot showers and essential resources to individuals experiencing homelessness and those impacted by the 2023 wildfires.

Hauling will take place nightly at 9 p.m., from Wednesday, April 9 through Friday, April 11. The transport will involve trucks in a caravan that will move the homes from the staging area near the Kahului small boat ramp, along Kahului Beach Road (Route 3400), to Lahaina.

A $250,000 check was presented to the West Maui YMCA for its Community Center Partnership Park. The check, from Rotary D5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund, will support the construction of a Dual Modular unit that will serve as both a youth space, office space, flexible program space and an additional covered area for the community.

Construction of the permanent site for the Lahaina wildfire and debris is currently underway in Central Maui on recently purchased land and is expected to be completed in June.

A sewer line being built for the Kilohana Temporary Group Housing Site on Maui will have long-term benefits for Lahaina.

The focus has now shifted to commercial debris removal. Currently, all but eight commercial properties in Lahaina have been cleared and completed. All commercial properties are projected to be completed by early 2025.  

A surge of calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline one year after the Lahaina wildfires underscores urgent need for expanded Hawaiʻi-based mental health support services. However, limited local resources have caused many calls to be rerouted to out-of-state services, exposing critical gaps in local mental health infrastructure, according to the University of Hawaiʻi. These findings were published in JAMA Network Open on Nov. 20.

Maui Economic Opportunity has received more than $27,000 in private gifts since August—led by a nearly $20,000 donation from Servco—to assist those impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.

VIDEO: The fire, which claimed 102 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, originated at 6:34 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023, off of Lahainaluna Road in unmaintained vegetation near utility pole 25. It was caused by sparks ejected from the re-energization of broken power lines above, according to fire officials. The report further states that the fire was rekindled by a severe wind event at approximately 2:52 p.m., marking the start of the afternoon phase of the fire.

A west coast alliance of Rotary Clubs has donated $32,500 to Project Empower, a nonprofit organization formed in 2023 by Oʻahu-based RevoluSun Solar, to aid in building temporary housing solutions for those affected by the deadly wildfires in Maui last August. 

The County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety received the Lahaina Fire Summary of Findings and Conclusions report from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura was briefed by ATF on the report today, Sept. 25, 2024. 

Maui County Council members approved on second-and-final reading Tuesday land use measures to pave the way for redevelopment of Queen Kaʻahumanu Center as it struggles amid a nationwide decline in brick-and-mortar shopping malls. Bills 67 and 68 advance to Mayor Richard Bissen for final action.

On Aug, 8, 2023, strong winds drove wildfires out of control on Maui– resulting in the worst natural disaster in Hawaiʻi’s history and one of the worst American wildfires of the last century. Nearly all of the town of Lahaina was destroyed, and Kula was significantly damaged. 3,971 properties, including homes, businesses, and schools were destroyed. The property damage was estimated to be as high as $6 billion. A staggering 102 lives were lost.  The Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services has since released a One Year of Progress: Recovery and Healing from the Maui Wildfires report.

FEMA Contracting Officer Demetria Carter recalls that not a single local vendor ultimately awarded a FEMA contract had ever been registered before on the federal government’s System for Award Management, or SAM.gov. She did her research and reached out to companies that provide a variety of services on Maui.

On Aug. 7, the eve of the anniversary of the 2023 wildfires that destroyed 3,071 homes, two more families from Lahaina received keys to temporary homes at the La‘ikū housing site.

With the one year mark of the deadly blaze approaching, Gov. Josh Green has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawaiʻi state flag be flown at half-staff, from sunrise on Aug. 8 to sunset on Aug. 12, in honor of those lives lost.

Following the Maui wildfires of August 2023, the University of Hawaiʻi is spearheading projects totaling $2.1 million to address the impacts to air and water quality, public health, ecosystem resilience and community evacuation responses.

Ed Sniffen, Director of the State Department of Transportation, will provide an update at the meeting. The County Office of Recovery will also provide an update.