#maui wildfire

The door to permanently affordable homeownership in Lahaina is now open. The Lahaina Community Land Trust has launched its homebuyer portal where Lahaina-rooted ʻohana can take the first step on the path to purchasing an affordable home. 

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education marked the opening of its Lahaina educator workforce housing development, a $20 million project designed to support teacher retention and strengthen public education on Maui.

The home was originally one of 10 homes built by Habitat Maui in 2020 for a Lahaina family. Rebuilding it marks an important step forward as families begin returning to the neighborhood following the devastating 2023 wildfires. 

The Maui Bicycling League successfully hosted its 2026 E-Bike Giveaway Event for Maui Fire Survivors on April 11 at Maui Sunriders in Kapalua, bringing together community leaders, partners, and recipients in a meaningful step forward in Maui’s ongoing recovery.

As part of its ongoing wildfire safety strategy, Hawaiian Electric will begin this month using unmanned aircrafts, or drones, for aerial inspections of its electrical infrastructure in identified wildfire risk areas throughout Maui. Inspections will continue through June 2026. 

The Maui Economic Recovery Commission – Healing Journey Team announced the return of Pa‘ūpili 3rd Saturdays, a monthly community healing gathering in Lahaina Town. The next event will take place Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lahaina United Methodist Church.

Nā Kia‘i O Maui will host a Clothing & Furniture Community Giveaway on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lahaina Resource & Recovery Center, located at 150 Hāna Highway in Kahului.

A Hawaiʻi woman was sentenced to four months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, following her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge stems from allegations of stealing disaster relief funds, intended for Lahaina and Pacific Palisades fire victims.

Hawaiʻi is experiencing its worst flooding in over 20 years – and CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) is mobilizing to support vulnerable communities impacted, particularly across Oʻahu’s North Shore, including Waialua, Haleʻiwa, and Lāʻie.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation reports that a portion of one of the stone walls at the historic Baldwin Home collapsed following the recent storm that impacted Maui, just days after stabilization work had begun on the structure.

Topics include Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Public Safety Power Shutoff program, project updates from the County Department of Public Works and other updates from the Office of Recovery.

Maui Fire Survivors have filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus with the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court seeking immediate action to  dismiss ongoing insurance company appeals that they claim are delaying settlement payments to thousands of Maui fire survivors and families.

Among this year’s Huakaʻi Awards honorees is David Sellers who is credited with helping to mobilize resources and advocate for families facing loss following the 2023 Lahaina wildfire.

The County of Maui marked the completion of Lahaina wildfire debris transfer with a pule at the Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui.

The newly built Trilogy VI replaces the original catamaran of the same name — a cherished vessel lost in Lahaina Harbor during the catastrophic Lahaina wildfires in August 2023. Carrying forward the name was a deliberate choice, honoring the legacy of the past while looking confidently toward the future.

Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced a combined award of $6.34 million to Hawaiian Community Assets to expand the Ua Hale A‘ela program, a transformative initiative providing safe, affordable housing and clear pathways to homeownership for families affected by the devastating Maui wildfires.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will debut Lele Wale, a new hana keaka (Hawaiian theatre work) that takes audiences on a journey of community rebuilding in the wake of the Lahaina wildfires. The production honors those who were lost, those who survived, and those who still carry the weight of rebuilding on Maui. Performances run March 4–8 in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at Kennedy Theatre.

Maui architect David Sellers will receive the Gordon Bradley Humanitarian Award for his recovery efforts in Lahaina during the second annual Huakaʻi Awards Gala.

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.

Gov. Josh Green pledged to extend rent support for Maui wildfire survivors through February 2027 and proposed halting future state tax cuts to preserve social services during his State of the State address, Monday in the House Chambers at the State Capitol.