Hawaii's spirit of aloha helps restore a wildfire-damaged community

Giant letters spell "ALOHA" at a hotel on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Native Hawaiians say that the aloha spirit is unique and that it's helping them recover from the recent wildfires. (Claire Harbage/NPR)

LAHAINA, Hawaii — It has been more than a month since wildfires swept across the historic city of Lahaina, but from the ashes of the disaster, the traditional spirit of aloha has given rise to a new spirit.

Native Hawaiians say they are not surprised to see neighbors, friends and families helping each other in the aftermath of the tragic fires — the deadliest in modern U.S. history — that have killed at least 97.