August 2023 wildfire information

News Release from Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, Aug 10, 2023

The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency is supporting wildfire response and recovery efforts in Hawai‘i and Maui counties, including the extensive damage in Lahaina.

This page will be updated regularly to reflect new information.

Damage reporting and assessment

If your property sustained structural damage or was destroyed, document the damage, ideally with photos, as soon as you are allowed to return to the site.

Report the damage to your insurer.

Report the damage to the County emergency management office for the island where the property is located (such as Maui Emergency Management Agency or Hawai’i County Civil Defense Agency).

In the event disaster assistance becomes available, HI-EMA and county governments will share information on eligibility and how to apply.

Supporting wildfire relief

Numerous community organizations are organizing relief efforts for those affected by the fires in Maui and Hawai‘i counties.

There may also be those who try to take advantage of the public’s goodwill and seek to defraud donors.

To ensure that relief actually assists those in need, the State of Hawaii offers the following recommendations:

Financial donations to a trusted nonprofit organization are best.

They are easy and inexpensive to transport

They don’t take up warehouse space

Nonprofits can purchase exactly the items needed, and may be able to obtain them in bulk at a discount, stretching the donations to cover more people

Items bought locally can support the local economy

Please do not donate used clothing; most nonprofits do not have laundry facilities or staff/volunteers to manage those donations.

If you find a nonprofit that accepts food donations, non-perishable items are preferred. Do not donate expired, dented or damaged, bulging, repackaged or home-preserved products, or items without labels.

Several responsible nonprofits have launched fire relief efforts, including:

The Hawaii Community Foundation “Maui Strong Fund.” Make donations at https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.

The Hawaii Red Cross, which is assisting with shelters for those displaced by the fires. Make donations at https://www.redcross.org/local/hawaii.html.

Contact us: HI-EMA can be reached at 808-733-4300 or HawaiiEMA@hawaii.gov.

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AG: ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ CAUTIONS THOSE SEEKING TO DONATE TO VICTIMS OF THE MAUI WILDFIRES TO AVOID SCAMS