It has now been a full calendar year since a massive wildfire tore through parts of Maui and devastated Lahaina, the historic town on the island’s west side. In total, 102 lives were lost but the fire’s impact changed thousands more lives. Homes were lost, family members were lost, businesses destroyed, and the list goes on for a community that has spent the past 365 days walking the long road to recovery.
Hundreds gathered for a memorial paddle out on Wednesday to remember the lives they lost and celebrate the community’s resilience.
“Today we’re remembering the 102 loved ones we lost, the many injured, those who lost their homes,” Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference. “We are grieving for them, still.”
Officially, more than 2,200 homes were burnt in the fire which left at least 12,000 Maui residents without places to live. Even today there are thousands of people still searching for longterm housing. Efforts to help displaced residents have been plagued with complications like logistics, availabilities of hotels for temporary housing, and more. According to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, more than 1,500 households have left Maui completely since the fire with many forced to leave because of the housing shortages.
On Friday, Governor Green announced that the State of Hawai’i, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telcom, and Spectrum/Charter Communications will be receiving a $4.037 billion settlement after they “undertook significant efforts to find a resolution that addresses the needs and ensures the well-being of plaintiffs, all affected individuals, and their families.”
There were 450 lawsuits from Maui residents, businesses and insurance companies covering a range of issued that have plagued the recovery process over the past year.
“My priority as governor was to expedite the agreement and to avoid protracted and painful lawsuits so as many resources as possible would go to those affected by the wildfires as quickly as possible,” Green said in a statement. “Settling a matter like this within a year is unprecedented, and it will be good that our people don’t have to wait to rebuild their lives as long as others have in many places that have suffered similar tragedies.”
