Finding aloha after devastation: Maui is rebuilding after Lahaina firestorm
The island of Maui has been suffering a profound sense of loss since the wildfires that devastated the old Hawaiian capital of Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, killing 102 people. Two years after thousands of residents lost their homes and jobs in the blaze that largely burned the bustling center of art and culture to the ground, a bright spot of hope is on the horizon: The return of the Maui County Fair.
Residents navigating a long and rocky path toward healing wonder: Will this major social event help an island still reeling from the storm? Could fair rides, craft shows and a community coming together assist in healing the aloha spirit of Maui?
Who is leading the fair’s return?
Daryl Fujiwara grew up attending the Maui County Fair before it closed after the 2019 fair season, due to financial difficulties and the pandemic. Now, he’s been charged by the County of Maui with resurrecting it as its director. Earlier this year the Maui County Council unanimously passed Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposal to bring back the fair. The council allocated a little over $1.5 million from the general fund to Festivals of Aloha, led by Fujiwara.
“After six years, the return of the Maui County Fair is more than just a parade and celebration,” Bissen said in July with the official announcement heralding the fair’s return “it’s a chance to reconnect, heal and move forward, remembering who we are and where we come from. It’s a time for us to come together as one ‘ohana, enjoy a beloved tradition and make new memories along the way.”
Most of the island’s residents, including Fujiwara, regularly attended the fair before its closure after its 97th year in 2019.
“My favorite memory is actually waiting for my mom to finish volunteering,” Fujiwara told Straight Arrow News.
Because his mother volunteered, Fujiwara enjoyed free admission as a kid.
“She would volunteer every year with the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association, and they would either be doing admission or they would be doing games and doing the money part of it, you know, to get the tokens to play,” he said. “And then we would go and eat and have a good time after.”
Festivals of Aloha organizes local events and often works closely with Maui County. As its director, one of Fujiwara’s other current projects is Kuhinia Maui, a collection of events on the anniversary of the fires honoring the memory of Lahaina and the 102 people lost.
“I’m from Lahaina, born and raised, graduated from Lahainaluna 2001.” Fujiwara told SAN. “And so, was very easy for me to take on this responsibility because it’s my town, you know?”
How else is Maui moving forward?
Maui has struggled to move beyond the fires that raged across the island and leveled Lahaina, but residents continue making steps toward healing. The appointment of Hawai’i’s first state fire marshal in 46 years, Dori Booth, who touted her commitment to building “a fire protection system that reflects the strength and resilience of Hawaiʻi’s people” signified one key step.
“The lessons from the Maui wildfires are still fresh and our responsibility is clear: We must do everything in our power to prevent future tragedies,” Booth said upon her appointment this July. “That means stronger coordination, smarter planning and a relentless focus on community safety. And when wildfires or other disasters cannot be prevented, we must be resilient — to protect Hawaiʻi’s most precious resources: its people, history, culture and places of deep significance.”
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A $4.037 billion global settlement from seven defendants benefiting victims of the Maui fires is drawing closer to completion. Claims from those affected are being accepted through October 1, 2025.
Also moving forward is the $4 billion global settlement benefiting victims of the Maui fires. Claims from those affected are accepted through Oct. 1, 2025.
On the ground, debris has been completely removed, and hundreds of permits have been issued for rebuilding homes and businesses, according to Maui Recovers, reshaping a town filled with history into something new. Permits are being sped through the often-slow system to help locals affected by the fires find more secure housing in a difficult market.
In late July, a Maui County Council committee recommended the approval of an amended version of Bissen’s proposal to phase out many short-term vacation rentals and turn them into longterm rentals. A highly contentious plan intended to open up more affordable housing for locals, the bill brought hours of testimonies before the committee.
Many who testified wore red “Lahaina Strong” shirts and spoke in support of the bill, while other community members stood against it, pointing to the potential job loss, decrease in tax revenue and economic impact. SAN reported on the debate in early May as the bill waited to go before committee.
Now, Fujiwara is working hard organizing the 98th fair with just a few months of notice. He hopes it will help unite the Maui community.
“We have to continue to have community events and make sure that people are seeing each other,” Fujiwara said, “that there’s opportunities to gather and see each other and check on each other. So, I feel like after that it was even more so of a calling to make sure we bring back the fair, which is one of the biggest gatherings of all you know, for so many years here in Maui.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
