Multiple outlets marked the third anniversary of the August 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire with assessments of where recovery stands, covering everything from a county buyout proposal for high-risk shoreline properties to expanded homeowner rebuilding assistance and the return of individual businesses. The overall picture reported across sources is one of uneven progress: some businesses and cultural landmarks are reopening while much of Front Street remains empty or under construction.
- Maui County is seeking $50 million in federal recovery funds to offer buyouts to roughly 10 owners of high-risk shoreline parcels on Front Street — including former sites of Bubba Gump’s, Kimo’s, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and Lahaina Fish Company — which face sea level rise risk and restrictive state coastal laws. (Hawaii News Now)
- Property owners and realtors say commercial rebuild progress along Front Street has been minimal, with no buildings constructed and no active construction visible despite county announcements of new sidewalks and reopened roads. (Hawaii News Now)
- The County of Maui’s Hoʻokumu Hou home-rebuilding program expanded eligibility after the federal Area Median Income for Maui County rose from $110,000 to $121,400; the application deadline has been extended to Dec. 31, 2026. (Maui Now)
- The County Office of Recovery will host a free ‘Meet Our General Contractor’ open house on Aug. 20, 2026, from 5–7 p.m. at Maui Mall in Kahului for homeowners to review home designs and ask eligibility questions. (Maui Now)
- The Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy, a family-run surf school founded in 1998, received approval to resume operations on Front Street on Aug. 1 and welcomed its first students back to Breakwall, three years after losing its Lahaina shop in the fire; the school had continued operating near Launiupoko in the interim. (Hawaii Magazine)
- The Maui Humane Society reports it is still experiencing fire-related fallout, with over 100 dogs and 100 cats in its care despite having only 43 dog kennels and recently just six open cat kennels, conditions attributed to widespread layoffs and a shortage of pet-friendly housing on Maui.
- Following the 2023 fire, MHS rescued more than 800 cats from the 2,170-acre burn zone — many of which had survived by sheltering in the local sewer system — in partnership with ASAR Training and Response and Neighborhood Cats. (Hawaii Public Radio)
- Three years on, Kaanapali and Kapalua resort corridors are described as fully operational with renovated rooms, expanded dining, and new retail, while visitors have slowly returned to portions of reopened Front Street.
- The 150-year-old Lahaina banyan tree, fenced off but alive, has become a widely visited symbol of the town’s recovery, drawing tourists and residents alike.
Sources
- Hawaii Magazine: Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy Returns to Lahaina Three Years After Wildfires
- Hawaii News Now: Maui County offers buyouts to iconic Lahaina properties as owners struggle to rebuild
- Hawaii Public Radio: Maui Humane Society continues recovery work three years after fires
- Hawaii Public Radio: Photos: Scenes of Lahaina’s restoration efforts 3 years after Maui fires
- Maui Now: Eligibility expands for Hoʻokumu Hou home rebuilding programs following 2023 Maui Wildfires
- OC Register: Travel: What’s new and improved on Maui 3 years after tragedy
- Daily News: Travel: What’s new and improved on Maui 3 years after tragedy
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