The Latest: Maui Wildfires

Recovery efforts and what you can do to help.

by MARGARET MATTHEWS ★ NOVEMBER 08, 2023

In early August, wildfires swept the island of Maui, killing almost 100 people and destroying homes, restaurants, and entire communities. The fires swept across the community of Lahaina, annihilating everything and everyone in its path. 

Lahaina is one of the richest and most sought after communities in Hawaii. The area lies right along the water and has been a popular tourist sight for decades. As the fire ripped through the island, people were left with only the ocean as an escape; some were forced to reside here for hours. 

Although Lahaina is popular for tourists, those who live in the community permanently are well connected to the town’s deep history. Lahaina was the first capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and contains some of the most historically significant cultural properties and sacred remains of ancestors. 

The cause of the fire is still being widely debated, one possibility is that active power lines that had fallen in the high winds ignited the fire that consumed the community of Lahaina. However, other possibilities are also being debated, such as drought complications. 

With hundreds of homes being destroyed, displaced residents are taking shelter in hotels and airbnb homes. The Red Cross is supplying people with meals, financial help, and mental health support. However, financial assistance for rent will only last for 18 months. 

Now you’re probably thinking, what next? Well… it is more complicated than that. There are major concerns that rebuilding Lahaina will be extremely difficult or even impossible. There are serious worries that with this being a hub for tourists, developers will take advantage of this devastating fire to build. This would be a worst case scenario, so state and local officials are doing everything in their power to prevent this. 

The long term worry for Hawaii is of course, Climate Change. The New York Times said on September 29th, “the area burned by wildfires in Hawaii each year has quadrupled in the last few decades.” These burned areas have made conditions in Hawaii hotter and drier, allowing wildfires to spread fast. This could be catastrophic in years to come and could eventually wipe out major towns in Hawaii.

These fires are clearly devastating with the deep cultural and historical roots that lie in Maui and in Lahaina. The effects will irrevocably change the communities and the people who live there forever. 

Since the wildfires began, millions of dollars have been donated and thousands of volunteers have enacted rescue and recovery efforts on the island. However, the estimated amount of money to rebuild Lahaina is over five billion dollars. This means that there is still much more that needs to be done. Maui needs our help.

Where to donate: 

https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong - Hawaii Community Foundation 

https://mauifoodbank.org/donate/ - Maui Food Bank 

https://www.mauinuistrong.info/support - Maui Nui Strong

https://www.nfggive.org/donation/45-2081227 - Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation 

https://mauiunitedway.org/disasterrelief - Maui United Way 

https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/donate-olx/?formID=mainButton - Maui Humane Society 

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aina-momona - ‘Aina Momona