The Maui Fires In Photos: September 2023
Homeowners were allowed to return to the burn zone in phases, while the gruesome task of identifying fire victims continued. Displaced residents struggled to find stability, and a high school football victory provided the community with a much-needed moment of unity.
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Recovery and rebuilding usurped search and rescue as the primary focus of officials in early September. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Maui businesses were reeling from the collapse in tourism following the August wildfires. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
After a tour of the disaster area, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged support for Maui and said Congress would be investigating the cause of the fire and subsequent response. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Support continued to pour in for fire survivors, including more than $2.6 million raised in an Instagram fundraiser and entrusted to Tiare Lawrence, a Maui-based activist and organizer of Native Hawaiian descent. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Private groups shipped in supplies for fire victims by plane, boat and truck. Many survivors said private help far eclipsed state and federal assistance in the early response.(David Croxford/2023)
Kukui Keahi, left, registers June Shipe for fire assistance in Kahului. Smaller aid stations offered a less intimidating atmosphere and were part of an effort to make sure aid reached underserved communities from Lahaina. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Throughout September personal stories of survivors continued to cast doubt on official narratives about the fire response. Noelani Todt, a mother of three, was one of many residents who got mired in gridlock as they tried to escape on Aug. 8. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
A row of wooden crosses for Lahaina fire victims quickly became the site of deeply personal tributes to the lives lost in the fire. In mid-September, officials revised the death toll from 115 to 97. It would eventually go back up to 100. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Donna Gomes was a fierce matriarch known for her loyalty and stubbornness. Most of the fire victims were seniors and many were from Lahaina鈥檚 Filipino community. Only one tourist died in the fire. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Lahaina fire survivors shared both their grief over the fire and their concerns about the future of Lahaina in a series of public meetings in September. (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2023)
Members of a Lahaina advisory team created by Maui Mayor Richard Bissen raise their arms in a show of unity after a difficult public meeting where officials told residents it could be two years before they could start rebuilding their homes. (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2023)
In late September, the county began issuing passes to allow residents to reenter the burn zone. Darryl Oliveira, the interim administrator for the Maui Emergency Management Agency, helped direct residents who were allowed to briefly return to their properties on Kaniau Road. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Volunteers distributed re-entry kits for residents visiting the burn zone in September, including NIOSH-approved face masks, gloves, goggles, disposable shoe covers and coveralls to help people protect themselves from hazardous debris. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
The reopening of a section of Lahaina for families to survey the remains of their homes along Kaniau Road marked a turning point in Lahaina鈥檚 slow recovery. National Guardsmen manned a security entrance to the area and volunteers dressed in protective coveralls offered emotional support or help searching through the ash for keepsakes. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Maui County opened Lahaina in sections, allowing people to return to their properties for the first time since the fires. Concerns remained about toxic ash, and air quality. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
Thousands of residents, including Tama Kaleleiki, spent much of September living in hotels or repurposed vacation rentals paid for by FEMA. (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2023)
Community meetings on the future of Lahaina and reopening West Maui for tourism drew large and passionate crowds of displaced residents in September. (Paula Dobbyn/Civil Beat/2023_
The issue of how and when to reopen schools was extremely fraught. Complex Area Superintendent Desiree Sides struggled at a Board of Education meeting to voice everything that would be necessary in Lahaina for students overcome some of the trauma of living through the Lahaina Fires (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Gov. Josh Green and Bob Fenton, the chief federal response coordinator for FEMA, were among the many officials to weigh in on the reopening of schools in Lahaina. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
The Department of Education said it would open a temporary elementary school in West Maui at the Kapalua airport. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Parents were divided about reopening schools in Lahaina. One campus was completely destroyed, while others, like Lahainaluna High School, were deemed safe to reopen in October. For years, Lahainaluna High School students have maintained an 鈥淟鈥 outlined in white lime on a hill overlooking the town. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
Though much of the media attention in September continued to focus on Lahaina, residents in Upcountry Maui were also dealing with the aftermath of a fire that destroyed 19 homes, including these in Kula. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
Wildfires Aug. 8 in Upcountry Maui destroyed 19 homes, including these in Kula. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
Without the ability to start rebuilding in Lahaina yet, many residents began to pick up the pieces of their lives in other places. Mario Siatris, who lost his home in the fire, flew to Oregon to teach Hawaiian cultural workshops with his partner while they figured out the next steps for getting home. (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2023)
Mario Siatris weaves on the floor of his Oregon hotel room in preparation for a coconut weaving workshop. The whale tale strung around his neck is a symbol of strength. He traded a Tongan jewelry carver in Lahaina a coconut hat for it. (Brittany Lyte/Civil Beat/2023)
