Skip to main content
U.S.

Maui fire recovery sees positives signs, officials invite tourists to return


A historic and sacred tree in Lahaina, Hawaii, is beginning to bud new leaves despite being covered in burn scars from August’s wildfire. The 150-year-old tree is the largest banyan tree in the U.S., and the new buds are a positive sign for long-term recovery in Maui.

New information is being revealed about the wildfire. The death toll has dropped from 115 people to 97, and the number of people missing has fallen from the thousands to 31.

The Maui County Coroner’s Office says this was caused by remains being wrongfully identified as human or one victim’s remains being identified as multiple people.

There is also a clearer consensus on the likely cause as county officials are largely blaming downed power lines for starting the fire. However, Hawaiian Electric has refuted those claims.

A U.S. House committee investigating the Maui fires will hold its first public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 28.

In the aftermath of the fires, officials and locals told tourists to stay away while the community handled the devastation. Officials are now encouraging tourism back into Maui, despite the wishes of some locals.

The region is heavily reliant on tourism and the state is losing roughly $9 million per day from the drop in visitors, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority.

The economic decline from the wildfire persists. According to the Tourism Authority, 40% of all jobs on the island are dependent on visitor spending. Over 10,000 claims for unemployment were filed after the fire — 11% of workers in Maui County.

Tags: , , , , ,

THERE IS A GLIMMER OF HOPE IN HAWAII – AS A HISTORIC AND SACRED TREE IN LAHAINA –IS BEGINNING TO BUD NEW LEAVES.

THE TREE – OTHERWISE COVERED IN BURN SCARS FROM LAST MONTH’S DEVASTATING WILDFIRE.

THE 150 YEAR OLD TREE – PICTURED HERE PRIOR TO THE WILDFIRES – IS A CHERISHED LANDMARK IN LAHAINA.

 

IT’S THE LARGEST “BANYAN TREE” IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY – BEING RESTORED BY A COMMUNITY IN THE PROCESS OF ITS OWN RESTORATION. THE NEW BUDS INDICATE POSITIVE SIGNS FOR A LONG-TERM RECOVERY.

 

MORE THAN A MONTH SINCE THE BLAZE OVERTOOK PORTIONS OF MAUI – THINGS ARE CHANGING.

 

THE DEATH TOLL – IS DROPPING. THERE’S A CLEARER CONSENSUS ON ITS LIKELY CAUSE. AND OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGING TOURISM BACK INTO MAUI – DESPITE THE WISHES OF SOME LOCALS.

 

DESPITE INITIAL REPORTS THAT 115 PEOPLE DIED IN THE WILDFIRE – THAT NUMBER NOW OFFICIALLY STANDS AT 97. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE MISSING – WENT FROM THE THOUSANDS – TO 31.

 

THE MAUI COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE SAID REMAINS WERE BEING WRONGFULLY IDENTIFIED AS HUMAN – OR ONE VICTIM’S REMAINS WERE THOUGHT TO BE MULTIPLE.

 

COUNTY OFFICIALS STILL LARGELY BLAME DOWNED POWER LINES FOR STARTING THE FIRE – BUT HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC HAS REFUTED THOSE CLAIMS. A U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE MAUI FIRES WILL HOLD ITS FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 28TH – NEXT THURSDAY.

 

FOR A REGION HEAVILY RELIANT ON TOURISM – THE STATE IS LOSING 9 MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY FROM THE DROP IN VISITORS ACCORDING TO HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY. IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE FIRES – OFFICIALS – AND LOCALS – TOLD TOURISTS TO STAY AWAY AS THE COMMUNITY GRAPPLED WITH THEIR NEW REALITY.

 

BUT ONE MONTH LATER – AND MAUI IS PLEADING FOR THE RETURN OF TOURISM. ACCORDING TO THE TOURISM AUTHORITY – 40 PERCENT OF ALL JOBS ON THE ISLAND ARE DEPENDENT ON VISITOR SPENDING. WITHOUT IT – MORE THAN 10 THOUSAND NEW CLAIMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT WERE FILED. THAT’S 11 PERCENT OF ALL EMPLOYMENT IN MAUI COUNTY.

AS THE ECONOMIC DOWN TURN FROM THE WILDFIRES PERSISTS.