The deadliest US wildfire in over a century devastated the Hawaiian Island, Maui in August 2023. This fire has claimed at least 97 lives and has destroyed much of the historic town, Lahaina. With 2,200 structures being destroyed in the fire, many people are still left homeless, even a year later.
On August 4, 2023, the National Weather Service emailed fire managers as a precaution for the danger of the high winds produced by Hurricane Dora, predicted to have its worst effects on the island on August 8, 2023. The hot and dry summer day, mixed with high winds, prompted a warning for a high risk of wildfires. Many key agencies, such as the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Maui Fire Department, Maui Police, and others were found not taking extra precautions, such as extra staff on duty, stationing emergency vehicles, or even plotting possible evacuations. The high winds which arrived on August 8, along with loose power lines, created the perfect recipe for disaster.
Many heroic effects by firefighters and police warning and helping as many people as possible while their own homes were being destroyed. 23,000 gallons of water later, the fire was still tearing through the city of Lahaina, covering and destroying 2,170 acres of Lahaina.
“We were able to evacuate our neighborhood right before the fire got to us and later that night we got a call telling us our home, shop, boats, and the harbor where our businesses operates were gone,” Toni Colombo, the owner of the small business, Ocea Rafting, in Lahaina, Hawaii said. “The fire only left ash. We were in shock, but also grateful we made it out with our dog, Naia, and made it safely to the other side of the island.”
Over 12,000 people were displaced, and have not stopped moving. 59% of people affected by the fires said that they have moved at least three times in the past year. One in five responders said that they have moved five times in the past year.
Within weeks of the fire, funded by a $14 million dollar donation, 88-unit villages of small homes were produced. Each of these homes were built with a private kitchen and bath, as well as a community center with a large communal kitchen and laundry services. Unfortunately, because of obstacles on the island, the building was put on pause. Even a year after the fires, many locals still are living out of a tent.
With the back-to-back devastations of COVID-19 and the wildfires, the ability for the businesses to pay off their grants and loans is nearly impossible. According to the Hawaiian Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the disaster area had over 800 businesses with over 7,000 employees. Since August 9, 2023, businesses have been losing $11 million a day.
“Financially, our store, like most others, has taken a significant financial hit,” Julie Patterson, the owner of a local coffee shop, Lava Java Coffee Roasters of Maui said. “We had several hundred poufs of Maui grown coffee on deck in Lahaina waiting for transport to our roaster. Unfortunately, that coffee was burned up in the fire. Thankfully, the coffee trees survived the fire, however the processing plant did not not. All of the beautiful coffee cherries have just been falling to the ground since the fires, over a year now.”
The nightmare that occurred last August will forever leave an impact on Maui and Lahaina. The people of Maui will continue to recover day by day, but they cannot do this alone. Following small businesses on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and any other social media platform, as well as supporting local GoFundMe’s is a great outlet of support for these businesses.
