The Maui Fires In Photos: November 2023
Government officials began to settle on options for dealing with various problems arising from the fires. A plan was put in place to bury toxic waste at Olowalu. Incentives were offered to homeowners who would rent long-term to fire victims. Lawmakers began drafting legislation to debate in the upcoming session. Still, people shuffled between hotel rooms and worried about finances.
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Tourism officially returned to West Maui on Nov. 1 although some visitors had continued to check in at the area’s many resorts even after the Aug. 8 fires. Golfers got in practice on the Royal Ka’anapali Golf Course. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
A cyclist rides the Lahaina Bypass mauka of Lahaina town in early November. The resort area north of Lahaina town was not touched by the fires and many displaced residents found shelter in the resorts. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
A signal of distress, the upside-down Hawaii State flag flies above the ashes of a Lahaina neighborhood. Many Lahaina residents were reluctant to embrace the return of visitors but others needed the work. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Hawaiian Electric released a new plan to mitigate the risk of wildfires and began implementing some new strategies as the utility continued to restore infrastructure in West Maui. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Tubes have been placed around drains in Lahaina neighborhoods to help prevent potentially toxic runoff from reaching nearshore waters. The heat of the fire transformed common household materials into toxic waste. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
As residents began to spend more time in areas leveled by the fire, officials continued to warn of the health risks associated with toxic ash and other chemicals left behind by the fire. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
The landfill at Olowalu was finally selected by county officials as the best place to store tons of hazardous waste being removed from Lahaina. Shipping it off island to the mainland was not considered an option. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
Olowalu is about 5 miles south of Lahaina along the Honoapiilani Highway. The two cone-shaped mounds in the center are in the proposed landfill site. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)
All four county mayors appeared at an event on Maui to show support for Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, being hugged here by Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami, at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement annual conference. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
While Lahaina got most of the public attention, Upcountry residents who had lost homes also waited for debris removal. Upper Kula resident Mark Ross visited his fire-ravaged property on Kualono Place. (Christie Wilson/Civil Beat/2023)
National Park Service retiree Ross Hart, 71, was eager to rebuild after his Kulalani Drive home of nearly 40 years was destroyed. (Christie Wilson/Civil Beat/2023)
The Kula Marketplace Hub was set up in an upper parking area of Kula Lodge so Upcountry resident could get water, which had been deemed unsafe for weeks by county officials. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
Mario Siatris, left, and adult children Devin Siatris and Camille Siatris wrap up sifting through the ashes of their home. More and more residents were allowed back into the burn zone in November. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
Neighbors reunited in the ruins as they slowly returned to look for whatever items might still remain. Louella Haia hugs Mario Siatris and his roommate, U’i Kahue-Cabanting, after seeing each other again at their properties. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
The Siatris household members are hoping to rebuild the home in Lahaina. Mario and U’i ran a flower and crafts business and the garden that supplied blossoms for lei-making also was destroyed. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
U’i Kahue-Cabanting found some of her jewelry in the area of her bathroom. Some returning residents were able to find small items that have become emotional keepsakes as they rebuild their lives. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023)
As victims of the fire continued Long-term housing was in short supply for people displaced by the fire. Lahaina Strong, an activist organization that gained prominence after the fire, set up dozens of tents on Kaanapali Beach to gain attention to the situation. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023)
