#lahaina wildfire

Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei K. Sugimura today thanked Hawaii’s congressional delegation for its efforts to secure federal tax relief for qualified disaster survivors, such as those impacted by the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, and is urging President Donald Trump to sign the legislation into law.

A new report by the University of Hawai’i found improvements in housing stability but less progress in the overall economy.

Three years after the devastating wildfires that started on Aug. 8, 2023, the community came together in remembrance, reflection and aloha during Kuhinia Maui held on the grounds of Lahaina United Methodist Church.

“With deep reverence for the County of Maui and its people who three years ago faced deadly and devastating wildfires, the Maui County Council sends its renewed blessings and support for recovery and healing,” Chair Alice L. Lee said.

As Lahaina marks three years since the Aug. 8, 2023 fire, Maui artist Rafael Pereda is unveiling “Lahainaluna,” a deeply personal new painting created over the past year in honor of the community he has called home for more than two decades.

Three years after the Maui Wildfire Disaster, Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration report a continued focus on housing recovery and business rebuilding efforts. The response remains a focal point as the community recovers from one of the most complex megafires in US history.

Homes are gradually being rebuilt, while some businesses impacted by the wildfires have since reopened. Yet for thousands of survivors, the emotional impact of Aug. 8, 2023, continues every day.

Gov. Josh Green announced that the One ʻOhana Fund has offered the full $175 million in compensation to families of the 102 people who died and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

Hawaiian Community Assets, a statewide nonprofit housing counseling agency, announced that the first four Wailuku homes offered through its Ua Hale Aʻela program for Maui wildfire survivors will be available for occupancy beginning Aug. 28, 2026. 

Married Maui boat captains Chrissy Lovitt and Emma Nelson walked away with a $1.1 million win during Monday nightʻs episode of NBC’s hit game show “The Wall.” The two are credited with taking heroic action during the devastating Lahaina fires in August of 2023.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery will be hosting a Meet Our General Contractor Open House on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Office of Recovery’s Lahaina Resource Center, Lahaina Gateway, 325 Keawe St., Suite B102.

Lahaina Homecoming, a new, three-day celebration focused on healing, reconnection and hope, will kick off July 17-19, 2026, to welcome home 103 former Lahaina residents while inviting the public to help recognize Lahaina’s enduring spirit.

“Today’s blessing builds on the significant progress already made in Lahaina’s recovery,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “From clearing more than 1,500 properties and restoring essential infrastructure to engaging the community, developing recovery plans and creating a clear path for businesses to rebuild, each milestone has brought us closer to restoring Lahaina’s commercial heart.”

Hunt Capital Partners celebrated the reopening of Kaiāulu o Kupuohi, an 89-unit affordable housing community in Lahaina that was destroyed in the August 2023 Maui wildfires.

West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply will officially celebrate the grand opening of its new flagship store in Lahaina on Saturday, June 27, 2026, marking a major milestone in the ongoing recovery of Lahaina and the return of a beloved local business to the community it has served for decades.

State House District 14 candidate Sne Patel announced that he has earned the endorsement of the Hawaiʻi Regional Council of Carpenters, marking additional labor support for his campaign. 

Hawai‘i’s nominal personal income had a substantial increase of $12.9 billion or 12.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the same quarter of 2024. The Bureau of Economic Analysis notes that this unusual increase was due to a settlement paid to households in the fourth quarter of 2025 to compensate for losses related to the 2023 Maui Wildfire.

Lahaina Homecoming, a three-day gathering of community, culture and connection, will take place July 17-19, 2026, along Front Street in Lahaina, the County of Maui Office of Recovery announced.

United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Daylyn Harris, 35, of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, was sentenced on June 5, 2026, to 24 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with false claims he submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking disaster relief related to the Lahaina and Pacific Palisades wildfire disasters, as well as a separate obstruction of justice charge. Harris was also ordered to pay $60,458 in restitution to FEMA.

Atlantis Submarines Maui is once again showcasing the undersea beauty off the coast of West Maui, having restarted with tours offered five days a week from Lahaina Harbor, its home port for operations since 1991.