In a pivotal milestone for the recovery and rebuilding of communities devastated by the 2023 Maui wildfires, Mayor Richard Bissen announced that the County of Maui will receive an estimated $1.6 billion in new Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for housing on Maui and an estimated $480 million more for economic development, small business loans and water infrastructure, among other needs.

The US Congress in Washington, D.C., on Friday and early Saturday voted to allocate $1.6 billion in disaster relief through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to support Maui’s efforts to rebuild homes. Another $480 million will go to Maui for disaster recovery. Strict federal guidelines govern how the funds must be used, including requirements for comprehensive financial reporting by the County to the federal government.

In response to the news, Mayor Bissen expressed deep appreciation for the federal support, underscoring the importance of this funding for Maui’s long-term recovery.

“We are profoundly grateful for this vital disaster relief, which will allow us to begin the critical work of rebuilding and fortifying our community after the worst wildfires this nation has seen in a century,” Mayor Bissen said. “This CDBG-DR funding will not only help our most vulnerable wildfire survivors, but also enable us to invest in projects that will make Maui County more resilient and better prepared for future challenges.”

The Mayor also expressed heartfelt thanks to Hawai‘i US Senator Brian Schatz for his relentless efforts in securing this funding, as well as all Hawai‘i’s Congressional leaders for their continued advocacy on behalf of Maui’s wildfire survivors.

“This funding is a lifeline for our community, and I am deeply grateful to Senator Schatz and all of our Congressional leaders for their unwavering support,” Mayor Bissen added.

“The $1.6 billion in CDBG-DR funding is for three things: housing, housing, and housing,” said US Sen. Brian Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “For the past 16 months, the people of Lahaina have done everything in their power to recover as quickly as they can. But they were never meant to do it alone. As disaster response gives way to disaster recovery, building housing is the top priority. People can’t fully recover without permanent, stable housing, and that’s why getting this funding now is so important.”

In addition to the estimated $1.6 billion in CDBG-DR funding for housing, about $480 million more will be heading to Maui, including:

• $350 million to build critical water infrastructure
• $33 million to repair roads
• At least $22 million to support economic recovery, agriculture, and conservation effort
• $19 million for child care
• At least $12 million to provide loans to impacted small businesses

To ensure the effective management of these funds, the County of Maui, with approval from the Maui County Council, has established a CDBG-DR Program Office within the Department of Management’s Office of Recovery. The County has spent months preparing an action plan and readiness protocols to ensure efficient roll-out and use of the funding.

“We are fully committed to working in close collaboration with state, federal and local partners in this comprehensive recovery effort,” said John Smith, incoming Administrator of the County Office of Recovery. “Together, we will build a stronger, more resilient Maui for the benefit of wildfire survivors and all residents of Maui County.”

Maui residents and local stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing recovery programs and opportunities for public engagement. For more details, please visit www.mauirecovers.org/cdbgdr.

The Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program provides funding to help state and local governments respond to and recover from federally declared disasters. These funds are used to support housing, infrastructure and economic revitalization efforts, with a focus on long-term recovery and resilience.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) has announced that more than $12 billion in new long-term recovery funding for disaster-impacted communities nationwide has been included in a bipartisan government spending deal that was released on Tuesday. From that, Maui is set to receive an estimated $1.6 billion in new Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for housing and hundreds of millions more have also been included for economic development, small business loans, and water infrastructure, among other things. Both chambers of Congress are expected to vote on final passage of the package this week.

“This money is for three things: housing, housing, and housing,” Schatz said. “For the past 16 months, the people of Lahaina have done everything in their power to recover as quickly as they can. But they were never meant to do it alone. As disaster response gives way to disaster recovery, building housing is the top priority. People can’t fully recover without permanent, stable housing, and that’s why getting this funding now is so important.”

In addition to the estimated $1.6 billion in CDBG-DR funding for housing, hundreds of millions more will be heading to Maui to:

• Create new jobs and support job training programs
• Provide loans to impacted small businesses
• Help restore Maui’s economy
• Rebuild critical water infrastructure
• Restore buildings and key structures

Since the Maui fires in August 2023, Schatz has continually led efforts in Congress to deliver relief for survivors, including securing $16 billion for the national Disaster Relief Fund last year and most recently co-sponsoring the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act which passed the Senate unanimously last week. The bill exempts survivors of the fires from having to pay federal income tax on their settlement money or pay tax on attorney fees included in the settlement.

The Maui County Council has approved the Bissen administration’s proposed acquisition of 79 acres for a permanent wildfire debris and ash disposal site and Central Maui Landfill expansion.

Until now, Lahaina wildfire debris and ash have been trucked to a temporary disposal site at Olowalu. With the Council’s second-and-final reading action Friday on Bills 174, 175 and 176, the County’s fiscal year 2025 budget will be amended for the acquisitions of property owned by Nan Inc., Hawaiʻi’s largest, locally owned construction company.

The County will purchase approximately 49 acres of previously quarried land and 30 acres of land currently being quarried adjacent to the Central Maui Landfill.

A portion of the land would be used for a permanent disposal site for debris from the 2023 Lahaina wildfire. The land also would be used to expand Central Maui Landfill, the only major municipal solid waste landfill on the island, which faced limited capacity before the fires.

Resolutions authorizing the acquisitions of the parcels for a total of $4 million were adopted by the County Council on Nov. 26.

“Mahalo to County Council members for moving expeditiously to approve this important acquisition,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “Securing land is a significant step in protecting our environment and ensuring sustainable growth for generations.”

The County Department of Environmental Management is preparing to initiate the design and construction of the permanent disposal site.

The County of Maui’s weekly Lahaina Disaster Recovery Community Meetings will be paused during the holidays. The next in-person meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria.

January will be the start of a transition to two meetings per month – one in person and one online.

The meetings will continue to provide updates on the County’s plans for rebuilding Lahaina Town and its plans for long-term recovery, along with an opportunity for residents to ask questions. 

Details on the twice-a-month meeting schedule, the online meeting platform and other updates will be announced at the next in-person meeting Jan. 8. 

For more information and to view past community meetings, visit www.mauirecovers.org and click on the “Events” tab.

The US Senate has unanimously passed the Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act, a bill introduced by US Sen. Mazie Hirono and US Rep. Jill Tokuda.

The bicameral legislation directs the National Park Service, in coordination with Maui County and other state and local partners, to study the suitability and feasibility of a National Heritage Area designation for Lahaina. The bill passed the House on Dec. 4. Now, it heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for final action.

“The devastating August 2023 wildfires that claimed over 100 lives and destroyed much of Lahaina shed light on how special this town is, not only to the Maui community, but also to Hawaiʻi and the country,” Hirono said. “The historic, natural and cultural resources found in Lahaina tell a nationally significant story, and this bill will help ensure that story can continue to be told and appreciated for generations to come. Since 1984, there have been over 60 National Heritage Areas established across the country, none of which are in Hawaiʻi. It is a fitting tribute that Lahaina is now under consideration to be one of our first. I’m glad the Senate has passed this legislation and look forward to President Biden signing it into law.”

Tokuda said: “The Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act is about grounding its rebirth and rebuilding in the history, culture and tradition of the ahupuaʻa that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. I am grateful and proud of the overwhelming bipartisan support our bill received in the House, and humbled and honored by Senator Hironoʻs leadership and insistence on getting this passed by the Senate before the end of this Congress. I am hopeful the president will also see my bill as a necessary step forward in honoring and healing our community and in getting Lahaina the recognition she long deserves.”

The National Park Service currently oversees 62 National Heritage Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaiʻi. In 2022, the House passed Senator Hirono’s Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act to study designating Kaena Point on Oahu as a National Heritage Area.

The full text of the legislation is here. To see a YouTube video of Hirono’s floor remarks, click here.

PBS Frontline’s new documentary, “Maui’s Deadly Firestorm,” a year-long investigation into the devastating August 2023 wildfire that claimed 102 lives and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaiʻi. The film explores the causes of the deadliest American wildfire in a century and the missed warnings that made it so unstoppable.

The film will have a digital premiere on Dec. 17 on YouTube, PBS.org/frontline + PBS App. It will premiere on PBS on Jan. 7, 2025 (check local listings). 

In August 2023, the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century reduced much of the Hawaiian town of Lahaina to ashes, displacing thousands. Sparked by a downed power line, the fire and a chaotic emergency response unfolded as Hurricane Dora brought high winds to Maui.

Coming in the wake of a state investigation that found a broad cascade of failures, Maui’s Deadly Firestorm investigates critical missteps that day — and in the years prior, as the county and state were advised to invest more money in prevention and preparedness, and as experts and residents raised concerns.

“I yelled and screamed all these years, but nobody was listening,” says Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a Lahaina community leader who warned Maui officials in 2018 that the county was unprepared for a major wildfire. “Now that this has happened, I blame myself.”

Written, produced and directed by Xinyan Yu, a filmmaker who is part of FRONTLINE’s Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative, and produced by Christina Avalos, the documentary draws on harrowing footage filmed by those in the path of the inferno and firsthand accounts from survivors, victims’ families and friends, first responders, and local and state authorities.

“For sure I thought that we’re gonna burn in there, because there is no way out and we cannot see anything — all smoke and fire around us,” said survivor Lily Nguyen, who was trapped in traffic in her car for hours as the fire and downed electric poles and lines blocked the town’s main evacuation routes.

Through these accounts as well as a detailed analysis of over 1,000 911 calls and public records across multiple government agencies, Maui’s Deadly Firestorm provides a harrowing, moment-by-moment reconstruction of the fire and its aftermath. It examines how changes to the climate and landscape have made Maui vulnerable and probes the factors that made this fire such a deadly event.

The documentary also investigates missed opportunities and controversial decisions before and during the response — including a choice not to activate emergency sirens — and raises difficult questions about who and what are to blame for the fire’s heavy toll.

“There are so many challenges in a fire like this,” Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green tells FRONTLINE. “And it was the speed and ferocity of the fire that ultimately took Lahaina. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have done better. We owe answers to everyone. And we also owe it to ourselves to be ready for the next tragedy or the next challenge.”

For the full story, watch Maui’s Deadly Firestorm. The documentary will be available to stream on pbs.org/frontline, YouTube and in the PBS App starting Dec. 17, 2024, at 7/6c. It will premiere on PBS stations (check local listings) on Jan. 7, 2025 at 10/9c. The documentary will also be available on the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. Subscribe to FRONTLINE’s newsletter to get updates on events and more related to Maui’s Deadly Firestorm.

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church reopened last week in downtown Lahaina, resplendent in white Christmas lights and even capped by a three-quarter moon high over its spire in the West Maui night sky.

“It’s a miracle,” said Joybelle Agustin, a Wailuku resident and Divine Mercy devotee who attended the historic church’s first Mass since the August 2023 wildfires. She recalled that, in the immediate aftermath of the fire, even flowers at the altar didn’t wither, despite flames that consumed most of Lahaina.

Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu, presided over the rededication Mass on Wednesday for the 151-year-old church.

Thankfully, the wildfire did not burn Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory), Silva said in his homily. But access to the church was affected, and “that is why you were not able to come here for over a year,” he told an overflow crowd of parishioners. “We’re now very joyful that we are here.”

The devastating wildfire spared the church, its rectory and a classroom building at neighboring Sacred Hearts School. Public access to the church property at the intersection at Waineʻe and Dickenson streets has been strictly restricted by immediate post fire search-and-rescue emergency operations and, later, hazardous debris removal from surrounding properties.

Silva noted in his homily that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris also reopened recently, five years after a fire burned the 860-year-old church’s roof, destroyed its iconic spire and damaged its roof and upper walls.

Both Maria Lanakila and Notre Dame are named after the Blessed Virgin Mary, Silva said, dedicating Wednesday’s Mass to her and to her “yes to God, the invitation that she received to be the mother of God.”

“And at that moment, the Holy Spirit entered her, and the word, the Eternal Word, became flesh,” he said. “As we recall that great moment in Mary’s life, we remember that a church is important because it is here that we gather together for the Word to come into us, for the Word to take flesh in us.”

Silva said that, the wildfire brought horrible “loss of life, loss of hope, loss of jobs. There were many tears that were shed at that time. There were also those who reached out to those in need, embracing them in their love, giving them food when they were hungry, finding shelter for them.”

“There were thousands and thousands of ways that that Word that had become flesh in us in this church,” Silva said.

While progress has been made, “there is much, much work ahead,” he said, noting that Sacred Hearts School, the convent, the parish center and the entire town of Lahaina need to be rebuilt.

“So there is so much more to do,” he said. “But we come here in hope and even in joy in the face of that because it is the Word of God, Christ made flesh in us, that will enable us to do all that the Lord wants us to do.”

The Maria Lanakila website has a listing of Mass times for both Maria Lanakila in Lahaina and Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua. Christmas Eve Mass at Maria Lanakila will be at 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass will start at 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. at Sacred Hearts Mission.

Christmas Day Mass will be at 7 and 9 a.m. at Maria Lanakila. The celebration will be at 7 and 10:30 a.m. that day at Sacred Hearts Mission. A Latin Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Christmas Day at Maria Lanakila.

Within days after the wildfire, Sacred Hearts School relocated temporarily to Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua and then to 2530 Kekaʻa Drive mauka of the Kāʻanapali Beach Resort. To learn more about the school and about opportunities to support Catholic education for its students, visit its website here.

Following the 2023 fires that destroyed or severely damaged eight historic sites managed by the nonprofit Lahaina Restoration Foundation—resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of artifacts and records from the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom—US Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Public Archives Resiliency Act.

The proposed legislation would authorize grants to support the preservation, climate resilience, and continuity of vital government records, while protecting historically and culturally significant documents. It would fund public archives, libraries, museums, educational institutions, and nonprofits, with companion legislation introduced in the US House by Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC).

“Public records are essential to the preservation of our history and culture,” said Hirono. “The Public Archives Resiliency Act will help to better protect them from the effects of climate change, including natural disasters like wildfires or floods.”

Government records are generated through birth, death, marriage, taxes, military service, education, immigration, property ownership, and much more. Many institutions that manage these records however, are at risk of environmental damage and lack resources to protect themselves and their communities. When these public records are destroyed or become inaccessible, it can delay an individual’s ability to access key government benefits and services, as well as result in the loss of irreplaceable cultural artifacts.

“The importance of this bill cannot be overstated,” said Janel Quirante, head archivist, at ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i. “This bill provides crucial support to libraries, archives and museums that care for historic and cultural materials endangered by the impacts of climate change. Infrastructure support would allow for critical improvements to aging HVAC systems, especially in Hawai‘i and other tropical climates where high temperature and humidity pose major challenges to maintaining a safe long term preservation environment for archival films. Digitization support would allow for the preservation, access and sharing of our cultural heritage documented on films and videos that are increasingly susceptible to loss from climate disasters.”

“Historic records and artifacts left by our kūpuna (ancestors) serve as foundational blueprints, offering invaluable guidance for addressing present-day challenges and shaping our future,” said Kai Kahele, chairman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees. “The Public Archives Resiliency Act, which allocates additional funding to repositories, greatly strengthens the capacity of Hawai‘i’s archives to preserve and access essential historical records. This support is particularly critical as we confront the challenges of climate change, as recently underscored by the devastating wildfires on Maui in 2023.”

“The Public Archives Resiliency Act will provide essential support to Hawai‘i’s repositories dedicated to the preservation and accessibility of historic documents and artifacts,” said Kale Hannahs, research systems administrator at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. “These institutions serve as vital stewards, empowering and educating the communities they support. OHA’s partnership with the Lahaina Restoration Foundation serves as a timely example of the importance of digitizing historic documents for the purpose of preserving Hawaiʻi’s history and provides a foundational framework upon which we build our future.”

Full text of the legislation is available here.

Following the Maui wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023, debris removal cleanup has been one of the major challenges facing residents, business owners and government agencies during the recovery process. 

The US Army Corp of Engineers was mission assigned by FEMA to complete both residential and commercial debris clearing for this disaster. 

By Aug. 2024 debris and ash was cleared from all 1,390 residential properties. Then in Sept. 2024 the properties were transferred back to the County of Maui once soil sampling and erosion control measures were completed. This milestone allowed members of the community to apply for building permits and begin rebuilding. Following a six-month building process, the first family moved into their new home in Lahaina just in time for Thanksgiving.  

The focus has now shifted to commercial debris removal. Currently, all but eight commercial properties in Lahaina have been cleared and completed. All commercial properties are projected to be completed by early 2025.  

As debris clearing nears completion, Lahaina residents are seeing more of their town reopen and fewer trucks transporting debris to the Temporary Debris Site in Olowalu, West Maui. Once a permanent debris storage site is available, FEMA will manage the transfer of debris and return the temporary site to its original condition. 

Throughout the debris clearing process special consideration was given to the unique cultural context in Hawaiʻi. 

“The culture in Hawaiʻi is so paramount that we could not ignore it when we were putting our debris plan together,” said Joseph Grunditz, FEMA Debris Task Force Lead. 

FEMA and USACE staff received cultural training and cultural monitoring is always conducted on site to protect Hawaiʻi’s cultural heritage and honor Native Hawaiian traditions. Native Hawaiian, Maui-based cultural advisors were hired to lead this effort.

Historic properties also received special care. A designated USACE team assessed each historic landmark structure. One such structure is the Hawaiian Kingdom Courthouse that has been assessed and will be repaired. USACE serving as the project manager, has subcontracted 95% of work to local construction companies, supporting local economy. 

Overall, USACE identified 29 historic and culturally significant properties that would require extra steps to save the buildings. Six of those properties were selected for a technique called shoring and bracing which will allow preservation of the remaining shells for restoration. Four of the six identified properties have been cleared of debris and completed. 

“I can’t wait to see how the community rebuilds this beautiful town,” said Joseph Grunditz, FEMA Debris Task Force Lead.

Motorists on Maui are advised of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului Harbor to FEMA’s Kilohana temporary group housing site in Lahaina over the next two weeks.

On the next two Sundays, Dec. 15 and 22, trucks will be moving the modular homes from Kahului Harbor to a temporary staging site near the Kahului boat ramp adjacent to Kahului Beach Road (Route 3400), according to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation. The transport will be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Trucks will travel from Hobron Avenue (Route 32A), then head west on Kaʻahumanu Avenue (Route 32) and turn right onto Kahului Beach Road and make its way to the staging site.

On Monday, Dec. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 17, beginning at 8 p.m., the homes will be transported from the staging site to Kilohana which is near the northern terminus of the Lahaina Bypass (Route 3000). There may be up to two convoys per night.

From Thursday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 29, one convoy of trucks per night will be hauling the homes to Kilohana, also beginning at 8 p.m.

The route the convoys will take begins at the Kahului boat ramp where trucks will head south on Kahului Beach Road and turn left heading east on Kaʻahumanu Avenue, then turn right onto Hāna Highway (Route 36). The trucks will then turn right onto Elmer F. Carvalho Way (Route 3800) and head west, linking with Kūihelani Highway (Route 380). At the intersection with Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30), the trucks will turn left and head west to Lahaina. In Lahaina town, the trucks will make a right turn onto Keawe Street and make a left turn to the project site, which is mauka of Lahaina Gateway shopping center.

Motorists may encounter traffic slowdowns and stops in both directions along the route due to the size of the modular units. There will also be escorts during the transport. Highway users should heed all signs along with directions from traffic controllers.