6 months after the Lahaina wildfires | News, Sports, Jobs

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Hawaii Governor Josh Green is flanked by Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell as he speaks during a Thursday morning press conference marking the six-month anniversary of the wildfires that claimed 100 lives and devastated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, making it the deadliest fire in modern United States history. Windblown wildfires that day also claimed 20 homes in Kula. The leaders gathered Thursday for a longterm recovery meeting with U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman and leadership from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “People have come together,” Green said. “There is hope. Though we have not completed the recovery, we have had tremendous support on the Federal level. Without a doubt, there is a ton of work to do.” Bissen said he appreciated the aloha from around the world, noting the support from the Federal, State and local partners has been “unwavering.” Criswell thanked emergency first responders, longterm recovery support personnel, non-profits and community organizations for the roles they have played in the ongoing recovery. “It takes the whole community,” she said. Criswell also renewed her pledge to see Lahaina and Kula through to the other side. “We will support you as long as it takes,” Criswell said.

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