The Latest Breaking News from West Maui

These Women Will Change the Way You See Hawaiʻi

Across Oʻahu and Maui, three women are helping visitors look beyond the view and pay closer attention to the culture, history, and land around them.

Marie Claire · Sep 1

A Maui chef's lifeline: his restaurant as the island recovers from Lahaina wildfires

Thousands remain displaced after last year's deadly wildfire on west Maui. Among those who lost almost everything was a chief and his family. But they're determined to keep their restaurant running.

WEKU · Mar 12, 2024

Six months after the Maui fires, an uncertain economy for the island

As Maui observes the six month mark since the deadly wildfires, business leaders are sounding the alarm about the state of the tourism-dependent economy.

WEKU · Feb 9, 2024

‘No time to grieve’: residents lament decision to reopen Maui to tourism

Two months after wildfires devastated West Maui, officials announce ‘phased’ reopening as locals struggle to survive

The Guardian - US · Oct 3, 2023

Native Hawaiian neighborhood survived Maui fire. Lahaina locals praise its cultural significance

As hundreds of homes burned in Lahaina, the only community in West Maui reserved for Hawaiians emerged almost unscathed from the wildfire that killed at least 97 people

The Independent UK · Oct 1, 2023

Hawaii economists say Lahaina locals could be priced out of rebuilt town without zoning changes

Economists in Hawaii warn that residents who survived the wildfire that destroyed much of the Maui community of Lahaina might not be able to afford to live there after it is rebuilt unless officials alter the zoning laws and make other changes

The Independent UK · Sep 22, 2023

Most of West Maui will welcome back visitors next month under a new wildfire emergency proclamation

Most of West Maui will officially reopen to travelers next month under a new wildfire emergency proclamation signed by Hawaii's governor

The Independent UK · Sep 9, 2023

Maui beckons tourists, and their dollars, to stave off economic disaster after wildfires

So few tourists are coming to the Hawaiian island of Maui after last month's wildfires that restaurants and tour companies are laying off workers and unemployment is surging

The Independent UK · Sep 7, 2023

Shutting off power to reduce wildfire risk on windy days isn’t a simple decision – an energy expert explains the trade-offs electric utilities face

Maui County is suing Hawaiian Electric, claiming the utility was negligent for not shutting off power as strong winds hit the island in the hours before the city of Lahaina burned. While the cause of the devastating Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire is still under investigation, forecasters had warned that powerful…

The Conversation · Aug 28, 2023

Maui fires renew longtime water rights conflict over sacred streams

During the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, a developer of land around a threatened Maui community urgently asked state officials for permission to divert stream water to help fight the growing inferno

The Independent UK · Aug 24, 2023