Maui Fires

AUGUST 2023 ยท LAHAINA AND KULA, MAUI COUNTY, HAWAII

3,500+

STRUCTURES DESTROYED

102
FATALITIES
456+
UNITS COMPLETED (APR 2026)
State

Compensation global settlement

Maui Recovery Update

Summary

On August 8, 2023, two wind-driven fires struck Maui simultaneously. The Lahaina Fire killed 102 people and destroyed approximately 3,500 structures in the historic town of Lahaina โ€” the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. The Kula Fire burned upcountry, destroying roughly two dozen structures in a rural area. Lahaina was not only a residential community. It was a cultural center, a historic town, and the home of multigenerational Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families whose roots in this place cannot be separated from the recovery of the place itself. The measure of success is not simply how many structures are rebuilt, but whether the same สปohana who lived there before can come home.

Why It Matters

Lahaina is a cultural, historical, and systemic disaster on colonized Hawaiian land. Maui entered the fire with a severe housing shortage, longstanding water inequities, distrust of government, and deep concerns about displacement and land loss. Early in recovery, Maui County committed to a community-led, government-supported model.

โ€œSuccess is not how fast we rebuild โ€” it is whether our สปohana comes home.โ€ - Maui recovery principle

Seven people sit in a circle on chairs in a room, engaged in a group discussion about the impact of the Maui Fires and the Dixie Fire.
A person walks through lush green bushes with a cloudy blue sky and distant mountains in the background, a scene far removed from the devastation seen in the Maui Fires.
Three people sit and relax on outdoor chairs under a shaded patio, with sunlight filtering through the treesโ€”a peaceful moment that contrasts sharply with the devastation caused by events like the Maui Fires.
Construction workers in safety vests work on a building site under a blue sky, with clouds and ocean in the backgroundโ€”far from the devastation seen during the Maui Fires.
A group of people smiling and standing in front of the Westside Distribution Center building, supporting communities impacted by the Maui Fires.
A worker in a hard hat with an American flag sticker stands outdoors under a partly cloudy sky, reminiscent of scenes from the Dixie Fire and Maui Fires.
A sign on a blue chair reads, Housing is the foundation of economic recovery, a message echoed after disasters like the Dixie Fire and Maui Fires.
Green grassy yard with small plants, houses, and a view of the ocean under a blue sky with cloudsโ€”far removed from scenes like the Maui Fires or Dixie Fire.
Old, weathered building reinforced with wooden beams and fences, under a partly cloudy skyโ€”a resilient scene reminiscent of structures that survived the Maui Fires or the Dixie Fire.
Three construction workers in hard hats and safety vests smile at a work site, where they help rebuild communities affected by disasters like the Maui Fires, with equipment visible in the background.
Row of colorful tiny houses under construction, with construction equipment and a WillScot trailer in the foregroundโ€”part of a rebuilding effort after disasters like the Maui Fires and Dixie Fire.
A man stands outdoors with open arms, facing houses and mountains under a bright, blue sky with cloudsโ€”reflecting hope in landscapes once touched by the Dixie Fire.
Six smiling adults pose together for a selfie in a sunny parking lot, with trees and cars in the background, sharing a joyful moment after volunteering for Maui Fires recovery.
A group of people stands outdoors on a windy, cloudy day near a chain-link fence and swaying palm trees, reminiscent of scenes during the Maui Fires.
Yellow house with large windows, two vehicles parked outside, and utility poles in the foreground under a blue sky, reminiscent of areas affected by the Maui Fires or the Dixie Fire.
People sitting under tents on a sandy beach, having a group discussion near the ocean with flags displayed, reflect on the impact of events like the Maui Fires.
A group of people gather under a canopy surrounded by palm trees on a sunny day, reflecting on the impact of the Maui Fires.
A group of people stand in a circle under a canopy outdoors, appearing engaged in a group activity, perhaps sharing stories or support related to the Maui Fires.
Three people sit and talk in a bright office with large windows, art on the walls, and a desk covered with items, discussing recovery efforts after the Maui Fires and Dixie Fire.

Quick Facts

Recovery Context

Structures Destroyed
Lahaina ~3,500; Kula (upcountry) ~2 dozen
Fatalities
102
Community Type
Lahaina: Historic Town / Cultural Center ยท Kula: Rural Upcountry
Infrastructure
Constrained (island logistics)
Demographics
Multigenerational Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families; tourism economy; prior housing shortage
Compensation Pathway
Global settlement involving HECO, County of Maui, State of Hawaii, school district and others
Philanthropy Scale
Extremely high
Key Constraint
Land, culture, island logistics, displacement pressure, water governance
Claimant Status
Claimant Fire โ€” global settlement
Rebuild Progress (Apr 2026)
352 permits under review; 568 approved; 181 completed; 300 active construction sites; 456+ residential/multifamily units fully constructed

Recovery Status

100% of residential and commercial parcels cleared of debris; 400,000+ tons of debris removed

352 permits under review; 568 approved; 181 structures completed as of April 2026

300 active construction sites; 456+ residential and multifamily units fully constructed in Lahaina Town

Commercial recovery remains slower than housing

Weekly in-person community meetings continue โ€” communication transformed from early failure to a recovery strength

FEMA entered community-created hubs rather than requiring survivors to come to formal sites โ€” a significant adaptation

Best Practices

What Worked: Field-tested by After the Fire USA

Community-led, government-supported recovery โ€” Maui County's guiding measure is whether สปohana can come home; weekly meetings show follow-through

Transformational local leadership โ€” Mayor Richard Bissenโ€™s administration transformed emergency management, communications, transparency, housing strategy, and water governance

Structural corrections โ€” Lahaina Community Land Trust, CDBG-DR first-time homebuyer assistance, water stewardship reforms, and restoration of Mokuสปula and Loko o Mokuhฤซnia

Our Work

After the Fire USA: Our Work in this community

After the Fire USA began working remotely with Senator Hirono's office on August 10, 2023, but waited approximately four months before entering Maui in person. The organization came gently, by invitation, with humility, and treated community trust as sacred. Since then, After the Fire USA has returned to Maui approximately 10 times, brought multi-sector delegations, convened leaders, answered questions, and connected Maui to other fire-impacted communities. In 2025, After the Fire USA flew a large group of Maui leaders to Sonoma County for the Wildfire Leadership Summit, creating a major community-to-community learning opportunity rooted in aloha and สปohana. The organizationโ€™s role has been to listen, connect, observe, amplify, advise, encourage, and support at a momentโ€™s notice.

Links

Maui Recovers Dashboard

Hookumu Hou First - Time Homebuyer Program

Lahaina Community Land Trust

Malama Kula

Lahaina Strong

Maui Rapid Response (MRR)

Fire-Resilient Landscape Guide

Policy Takeaways

Success is not how fast we rebuild โ€” it is whether our สปohana comes home

Permitting capacity must scale immediately post-disaster โ€” contracted surge support is faster than organic hiring

Recovery must be culturally grounded; cultural recovery is not secondary to physical rebuild

Land sovereignty and water governance are recovery issues, not separate policy domains

Survivor voice is not a nice-to-have โ€” it is the prerequisite for recovery design that actually serves the community

Our Analytical Framework

No Two Fires Recover the Same Way

Structure loss counts tell you what burned. They don't tell you who was there, whether the infrastructure could support a rebuild, or whether survivors had any real path to compensation. After eight years across fifteen+ fires, we use a six-dimension framework to assess what recovery actually requires โ€” and why copying one fire's playbook onto another can do more harm than good.

Explore Our Cross-Fire Insights