Nearly a year after Lahaina disaster, authorities point to progress and more work ahead

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - As the one-year anniversary of the Maui wildfires approaches, leaders took a tour of Lahaina on Thursday to point to the progress that’s underway.

Maui County leaders invited media into the disaster zone.

Col. Eric Swenson, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, noted that hundreds of residential and business properties have been cleared of debris, but the work isn’t done yet.

Maui Wildfires Disaster

Meanwhile, there are also efforts to restore infrastructure in Lahaina.

“Storm sewer, water supply, sanitary sewer, roads,” said John Smith, Highways division chief.

“Our goal early on was we need to get this town functional so that people can repopulate. We’ve accomplished that primarily so far and by the end of this year we should have service restored 100% for water and sewer. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect. We’re going to limp along.”

The inferno on Aug. 8, 2023, claimed the lives of 102 people and destroyed Lahaina town in the deadliest wildfire disaster in the United States in more than a century.