PHOTO GALLERY: A look at Lahaina in the six months since a wildfire destroyed the Maui town
PHOTO GALLERY: A look at Lahaina in the six months since a wildfire destroyed the Maui town
FILE - The Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, offers a prayer inside the nokotsudo, or columbarium, that survived being destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, File)
FILE - Lahaina, Hawaii, residents, who are affected by a deadly wildfire that devastated the community, hug one another after a news conference in Lahaina, Hawaii, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Sacred Hearts School third-grade students read a book during an English language arts class at their temporary school site at Sacred Hearts Mission Church on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File)
FILE - Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Brandon Rabang, whose mother Sharlene Rabang, 78, was named as the 100th victim of the August wildfires in Lahaina, poses for a photo with her ashes Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. Sharlene’s family fought to have her listed as a victim due to smoke inhalation after she died weeks after fleeing the fire. “Me and my mom was really close, we talked multiple times a day,” Rabang said. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FILE - Rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, above homes burned by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Janet Spreiter, whose home across the street was destroyed in the August wildfire, stands in front of a flooded parking garage in a destroyed business complex next to the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort on Front Street, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Spreiter and other residents say they have concerns about the water with wildfire debris and toxins potentially seeping into the ocean or being pumped uphill to a tank that could seep into groundwater. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, points to damage as he speaks with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell during a tour of wildfire damage, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Zaevah Erickson-Castaneto, 7, jumps around as mother Erika Erickson checks on Mahina, 2, at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, where they currently live after being displaced by the August wildfire Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in the Kaanapali area of Lahaina, Hawaii. Erickson-Castaneto’s great-grandmother Louise Abihai was among the victims in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century that took the lives of at least 100 people and destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Children, mostly those who lost their homes in the Lahaina wildfire, attend a toy giveaway by Project 5000, a missionary program, at the Church of the Nazarene, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Displaced Lahaina wildfire survivor Lily Nguyen, who says she and her daughter fled into the ocean water for five hours to escape the fire, prepares pho at a Fishing for Housing protest Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. “Almost four months now and we live day by day, we don’t know what to do,” Nguyen said. A group of survivors is camping on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Leis and flowers adorn crosses at a memorial for victims of the August wildfire above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - The Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, offers a prayer inside the nokotsudo, or columbarium, that survived being destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - The Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, offers a prayer inside the nokotsudo, or columbarium, that survived being destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Photos of victims are displayed under white crosses at a memorial for victims of the August 2023 wildfire, above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, File)
FILE - The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, File)
FILE - Lahaina, Hawaii, residents, who are affected by a deadly wildfire that devastated the community, hug one another after a news conference in Lahaina, Hawaii, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Lahaina, Hawaii, residents, who are affected by a deadly wildfire that devastated the community, hug one another after a news conference in Lahaina, Hawaii, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Sacred Hearts School third-grade students read a book during an English language arts class at their temporary school site at Sacred Hearts Mission Church on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File)
FILE - Sacred Hearts School third-grade students read a book during an English language arts class at their temporary school site at Sacred Hearts Mission Church on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, File)
FILE - Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Volunteers make food, bottle water and supply deliveries to elderly residents impacted by a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Brandon Rabang, whose mother Sharlene Rabang, 78, was named as the 100th victim of the August wildfires in Lahaina, poses for a photo with her ashes Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. Sharlene’s family fought to have her listed as a victim due to smoke inhalation after she died weeks after fleeing the fire. “Me and my mom was really close, we talked multiple times a day,” Rabang said. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Brandon Rabang, whose mother Sharlene Rabang, 78, was named as the 100th victim of the August wildfires in Lahaina, poses for a photo with her ashes Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. Sharlene’s family fought to have her listed as a victim due to smoke inhalation after she died weeks after fleeing the fire. “Me and my mom was really close, we talked multiple times a day,” Rabang said. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FILE - Rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, above homes burned by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, above homes burned by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Janet Spreiter, whose home across the street was destroyed in the August wildfire, stands in front of a flooded parking garage in a destroyed business complex next to the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort on Front Street, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Spreiter and other residents say they have concerns about the water with wildfire debris and toxins potentially seeping into the ocean or being pumped uphill to a tank that could seep into groundwater. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Janet Spreiter, whose home across the street was destroyed in the August wildfire, stands in front of a flooded parking garage in a destroyed business complex next to the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort on Front Street, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Spreiter and other residents say they have concerns about the water with wildfire debris and toxins potentially seeping into the ocean or being pumped uphill to a tank that could seep into groundwater. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, points to damage as he speaks with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell during a tour of wildfire damage, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, points to damage as he speaks with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell during a tour of wildfire damage, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks through the grounds of his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - A general view shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - Zaevah Erickson-Castaneto, 7, jumps around as mother Erika Erickson checks on Mahina, 2, at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, where they currently live after being displaced by the August wildfire Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in the Kaanapali area of Lahaina, Hawaii. Erickson-Castaneto’s great-grandmother Louise Abihai was among the victims in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century that took the lives of at least 100 people and destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Zaevah Erickson-Castaneto, 7, jumps around as mother Erika Erickson checks on Mahina, 2, at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, where they currently live after being displaced by the August wildfire Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in the Kaanapali area of Lahaina, Hawaii. Erickson-Castaneto’s great-grandmother Louise Abihai was among the victims in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century that took the lives of at least 100 people and destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Children, mostly those who lost their homes in the Lahaina wildfire, attend a toy giveaway by Project 5000, a missionary program, at the Church of the Nazarene, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Children, mostly those who lost their homes in the Lahaina wildfire, attend a toy giveaway by Project 5000, a missionary program, at the Church of the Nazarene, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Displaced Lahaina wildfire survivor Lily Nguyen, who says she and her daughter fled into the ocean water for five hours to escape the fire, prepares pho at a Fishing for Housing protest Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. “Almost four months now and we live day by day, we don’t know what to do,” Nguyen said. A group of survivors is camping on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Displaced Lahaina wildfire survivor Lily Nguyen, who says she and her daughter fled into the ocean water for five hours to escape the fire, prepares pho at a Fishing for Housing protest Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. “Almost four months now and we live day by day, we don’t know what to do,” Nguyen said. A group of survivors is camping on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Leis and flowers adorn crosses at a memorial for victims of the August wildfire above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - Leis and flowers adorn crosses at a memorial for victims of the August wildfire above the Lahaina Bypass highway, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — It has been six months since a wildfire leveled most of Lahaina, a centuries-old town on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Authorities say 100 people were killed and three are still missing from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Nearly 5,000 residents who lost their homes in the blaze are still living in hotels. An acute housing shortage on Maui means they can’t find places to live, even with rental assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or private charities.
Gov. Josh Green is pushing owners of Maui’s many vacation rentals to house displaced Lahaina residents so all evacuees can move into long-term housing by March 1. He has also proposed a “tax amnesty” to encourage vacation rental owners to rent to residents. Maui County has adopted tax incentives with the same aim.
“The lack of stable housing has obviously been a very major source of anxiety for our displaced residents, especially for our families with children,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said at a news conference Thursday.
Bissen said housing issues have compounded the trauma of the fire for many residents and led to depression. He said mental health counseling was available at no cost.
Maui’s economy heavily depends on tourists, who have returned to the Lahaina area, though some workers have struggled to attend to them while recovering from the disaster. Longer term, some worry that a redeveloped Lahaina will be too expensive for many Native Hawaiians and local-born residents and that they may be priced out of their hometown.
Authorities are still studying what sparked the fire but an AP investigation found it may have started in an overgrown gully beneath Hawaiian Electric Co. power lines. Hurricane-force winds, severe drought and invasive grasses combined to fuel the blaze. Scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events of the kind that fed the inferno.