Multiple sources report that Hawaii has awarded $1.8 million in wildfire mitigation grants to eight organizations across five islands through the 2026 Hawaii Urban Interface (HUI) Wildfire Grant Program. The announcement coincides with the peak of fire season and falls just before the third anniversary of the 2023 Maui wildfires. Two Maui-area organizations are among the recipients.
- The 2026 HUI Wildfire Grant Program distributed $1.8 million — up from $1.5 million awarded in 2025 — to eight organizations on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii Island (Maui Now)
- Grants fund projects including firebreak construction, invasive vegetation removal, managed grazing, evacuation studies, and improved emergency access
- On Maui, Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteaders Association received $300,000 to reduce hazardous fuels along community perimeters and support residents with defensible-space clearing (Maui Now)
- Also on Maui, Wailea Property Owners Association received $25,000 to reduce tall dry grass and remove ladder fuels from kiawe trees near the community (Maui Now)
- ʻĀina Momona on Molokai received $228,584 to expand wildfire mitigation and land restoration efforts (Maui Now)
- The program is a partnership between the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife
- The grant announcement came days after a 700-plus-acre wildfire at Kawaihae on Hawaii Island and ahead of the third anniversary of the deadly Maui wildfires
- State officials warn that abundant vegetation growth this year could become dangerous dry fuel if dry conditions develop in 2027 (Hawaii News Now)
Sources
- Hawaii News Now: $1.8M awarded for wildfire mitigation as Hawaii enters peak fire season
- Maui Now: Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteaders Association on Maui and ʻĀina Momona on Molokaʻi to benefit from wildfire mitigation funding
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