Maui Wildfire Update – August 24 at 2 p.m.
Aloha,
Here are the latest Maui wildfire news, updates, and resources you need to know.
Relief efforts continue and slowly shift toward long-term recovery.
- As of yesterday, six more people have been identified out of the 115 confirmed dead, and more than 1,000 remain unaccounted for.
- Firefighters and first responders have been working nearly non-stop for more than two weeks. Maui Fire Department Captain Peter Vanderpoel said, “We’re here to stay with it and work until duty does not require us to work anymore. Overall, spirits are high. Even the guys who lost their homes are here.”
- The Environmental Protection Agency began work on Wednesday to remove and dispose of hazardous waste from properties affected by the wildfires in Kula. Hazardous waste removal efforts in the Lahaina disaster area will start after search and rescue responders allow EPA crews to enter the area.
- Gov. Josh Green shares that the number of missing people will “significantly drop today” due to search efforts with the FBI, also noting that 95% of the search area has been assessed.
- As of today, there are 9,545 verified FEMA asks that are appropriate, meaning people will get these resources.
The hospitality industry, businesses and locals work to find a balance between giving residents time to heal and ramping up tourism to the rest of the island.
- “We don’t want people to cancel their trips,” said T. Ilihia Gionson, public affairs officer with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. Maui has 160,000 residents, and on any given day in 2023, there are about 70,000 visitors.
- The volume of wildfire-related hotel cancellations on Maui is outpacing bookings.
- Industry leaders held a meeting to discuss how to respectfully market Maui and encourage visitors everywhere, except West Maui, is open.
- Visitors are asked to be respectful and follow the lead of locals.
As the acute recovery phase nears an end, how Lahaina moves forward remains murky.
- In a Civil Beat column, Neal Milner explores the tough choices ahead, including whose vision will shape the town’s new form and how fast it should happen.
- 2,025 Lahaina students “have not enrolled in another public school or opted for distance learning (may have moved out of state, enrolled in private schools),” according to a new report. The union representing Hawai‘i’s public school teachers expressed frustration with the Department of Education’s response to the disaster.
- Tensions around century-old water conflicts rise. However, the state Supreme Court this morning denied a petition claiming a judge’s ruling prevented enough water from being available to fight the Upcountry wildfires.
Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric Industries and its subsidiaries, alleging civil damages from the Lahaina wildfire.
- The lawsuit alleges Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, including Maui Electric Co., acted negligently by failing to turn off power to their electrical equipment despite a National Weather Service “red flag warning.”
- The lawsuit also claims Hawaiian Electric’s energized and downed power lines ignited the fires by sparking dry grass and brush.
- The lawsuit also accuses Hawaiian Electric of failing to maintain its systems and power grid, leading to three different Maui fires on Aug. 8.
Mahalo nui loa,
Your BG Team