Maui Fire
Recovery Through a Disability Lens: Impacts of the 2023 Maui Wildfires on Disability Equity and Shared Prosperity
The August 2023 Maui wildfires devastated homes, disrupted livelihoods, and reshaped entire communities. For many Maui residents with disabilities, life after the fires has been an uphill climb. This report draws on two large-scale surveys conducted between 2024 and 2025 to document how the disaster and its aftermath have affected disabled people in Lahaina.
Read MoreNew MauiWES Study Published in JAMA Network Open
A new paper in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association, led by Dr. Ruben Juarez, Dr. Alika Maunakea, Dr. Daniela Bond-Smith, and the MauiWES team at the University of Hawai‘i, highlights both the challenges and the resilience of communities impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires. The study, which followed over 1,100 […]
Read MoreProgress and Vulnerability Two Years After the Wildfires: A Data-Driven Update from the Maui Recovery Survey
Two years after the devastating August 2023 wildfires, thousands of fire-affected people continue to navigate a long and complex path to recovery. While many are still facing hardship — including displacement, financial uncertainty, and unmet needs — others have regained stability in many aspects of their lives. This report presents findings from the Maui Recovery […]
Read MoreFrom Crisis to Recovery: Health and Resilience Two Years After the Maui Wildfires
Nearly two years after the August 2023 wildfires, many people in Maui are still living with the emotional, physical, and social effects of the disaster. The flames are gone, but their impact remains. Launched in January 2024, the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES)—the largest post-disaster health cohort in Hawai‘i’s history—is now following 2,000 adults and […]
Read MoreRoots Reborn: “Our Financial Future” – Insights into the Challenges and Opportunities Facing Maui’s Immigrant Community
By Ruben Juarez, Veronica Mendoza Jachowski, Lily Solano, and the Roots Reborn Team Background and PurposeIn February and March 2025, Roots Reborn launched Our Financial Future, a community-driven initiative to support immigrant wildfire survivors through direct financial aid, banking access, and financial education. Drawing on nearly 300 participants, the initiative employed two comprehensive, culturally attuned […]
Read MoreUHERO’s Trey Gordner on the Ka Pewa podcast
UHERO’s Trey Gordner appeared on the Ka Pewa podcast to discuss key insights from UHERO’s research on Maui’s recovery from the wildfires and how data-driven research can help shape decision making and public policy.
Read MoreMaui’s Recovery 1½ Years After the Wildfires
By Daniela Bond-Smith, Trey Gordner, Caleb Wood Eighteen months after the August 2023 wildfires, Maui’s fire-impacted households continue to face significant economic and housing instability. While some indicators suggest limited progress, the latest findings from the Maui Recovery Survey: Housing & Jobs show that many challenges remain. The survey, launched by the University of Hawai‘i […]
Read MoreMigration Effects of the Maui Wildfires: Early Indicators from State Tax Filings
By Dylan Moore and Baybars Karacaovali (Office of Tax Research and Planning, Hawai’i Department of Taxation)* Executive Summary: An analysis of state income tax filing addresses indicates that the 2023 Maui wildfires reduced Maui’s population by at least 1,000 residents, due to both increased out-migration and reduced in-migration. At least 430–510 Maui residents have moved […]
Read MoreMaui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry Workshop
By Ruben Juarez and Alika Maunakea Enhancing Resilience: Building Sustainable Health Registries for Disaster-Affected CommunitiesDecember 4-7, 2024, Lahaina, MauiWorkshop Summary, Lessons Learned, and Steps Forward Executive Summary The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry (MauiWES) represents the most comprehensive community-based initiative to date for examining both immediate and long-term health outcomes following the Maui Wildfire. […]
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