Hawaiian Electric seeks approval for wildfire safety work
Typical residential customers of the state’s largest utility could see their monthly bill rise between $1 and $5.50 to cover costs of an expanded three-year wildfire safety plan. Read more
Maui Wildfires
Hawaii gets first state fire marshal in 46 years
An Army combat veteran with high-level fire safety job experience in Arizona is Hawaii’s new state fire marshal. Read more
Workforce housing for educators gets underway in West Maui
State and county officials broke ground this week on a $20 million workforce housing project aimed at providing rental units for public school employees in West Maui, many of whom continue to face housing challenges in the aftermath of the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. Read more
Debris from Lahaina wildfire to be transported to permanent disposal site
The volume of debris collected from burned properties in Lahaina is roughly the equivalent of five football fields piled five stories high. Read more
New loan assistance will help Lahaina families rebuild homes after wildfires
Maui County is launching a new loan program this summer to help middle- income Lahaina homeowners who are still struggling to rebuild since the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. Read more
Maui housing project receives largest wave of wildfire survivors to date
Ka La‘i Ola is a modular housing project mauka of the Lahaina Civic Center designed specifically for survivors who are ineligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. Read more
Maui County completes debris removal on Front Street
The removal of the materials also mitigated risks to marine life and the health of the coastal ecosystem, which had been threatened by the decaying debris. Read more
Bill sets aside $807.5 million for Maui wildfire claims
Hawaii legislative leaders have agreed to fully fund the state’s share of Maui wildfire damage claims slated to be paid out over four years. Read more
Maui housing conversion endeavor stalls
An effort to help alleviate Maui’s dire shortage of affordable housing by having a state agency acquire and convert commercial buildings to partial residential use has come up short at this year’s Legislature but still might produce results. Read more
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Report: Maui short-term rental ban would bring big economic shocks
UHERO’s report estimates that banning transient short-term rental use of properties could result in losses on Maui of 1,900 jobs, $900 million in annual visitor expenditures and $60 million in property tax revenue by 2029. Read more
Firefighters have high levels of PFAS in aftermath of Maui fires
Maui firefighters who responded to the August 2023 Maui wildfires had the highest levels of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their bloodstream when compared with other first responders a month later. Read more
Lawsuit challenges Trump freeze on Maui funding
The state Department of Human Services will have to shut down its ongoing relief efforts for 4,431 remaining survivors of the 2023 Maui wildfires on April 4 unless the Federal Emergency Management Agency lifts a funding freeze, according to a federal lawsuit filed by attorneys general from both Republican and Democratic states. Read more
Editorial: Maui on mend, but aid needed
Thousands remain in “temporary” living arrangements. An outsized number are still looking for work, with an unemployment rate a dismal 8% for fire-affected people. Read more
Survey reveals slight recovery since August for Maui residents affected by fires
The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization surveys found that the proportion of displaced households with temporary living arrangements in February, 18 months after the disaster, declined to 45% from 51% a year after the fires that destroyed most housing in Lahaina and several homes in Kula. Read more
New canoe honors legacy of Mo‘olele, burned in the 2023 Maui wildfires
The fire that killed 102 people and scorched 2,000 acres also burned the Mo‘olele, rendering the 42-foot, double-hulled coastal canoe unusable. Read more
First payment of $1.5 million is disbursed from $175 million One ‘Ohana Fund
Gov. Josh Green announced Friday the first disbursement from the $175 million One ‘Ohana Fund, part of the Maui Wildfires Compensation Program created to provide direct financial relief to families of those who died and people who suffered serious injuries in the August 2023 wildfires. Read more
Wildfire mitigation: Bringing out the sheep, goats to keep vegetation in check
When Raia Olsen, owner of Oahu Grazers, pulls up to the solar farm in Mililani and lets her flock of sheep out of the trailer, they know just what to do. Read more
Hawaiian Electric commits $260K to local nonprofit combating wildfires
The funding comes as the nonprofit’s federal grants for these programs are ending, according to Nani Barretto, HWMO co-executive director. Read more
Hawaii delegation urges FEMA to extend Maui rent subsidies
About 30 percent of survivor households live below the poverty line in West Maui, where landlords continue to drive up rents following the August 2023 wildfires that destroyed nearly 4,000 structures, most of them homes. Read more
Senior FEMA leaders leaving already-depleted disaster agency
The departures in the senior ranks are in addition to job cuts and resignations of about 1,000 of the agency’s roughly 17,000 employees. Read more
Barricades removed for north side of Front Street in Lahaina
Despite the reopening, officials warn that barricades and “Do Not Enter” signs will remain in place for many parts of commercial Lahaina due to safety hazards as construction and deconstruction continues. Read more
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