FIRE UPDATE

County fire investigators have concluded that the Kula and Olinda fires have distinct origins. As of today, 8/17, data for these fires will be reported separately. As mapping is refined in coming days, estimated fire acreage may be adjusted. Tonight, a drone with infrared capabilities will be looking for hot spots among the Upcountry fires.

· Olinda fire (initially reported 8/8): Now 85% contained. Estimated 1,081 acres. There are no active threats at this time. State Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife is monitoring.

· Kula fire (initially reported 8/8): Now 80% contained. Estimated 202 acres. There are no active threats at this time. Three Maui Fire Department and two DOFAW crews were onsite today.

· Lahaina fire (initially reported 8/8): Now 90% contained. Estimated 2,168 acres. There are no active threats at this time. MFD and United States Army Reserve were onsite today.

· Pulehu / Kihei fire (initially reported 8/8): Remains 100% contained. A flareup occurred inside the burn area around 5:15 p.m. but Engine 10, Tanker 10 and Air One extinguished the flareup. The Pulehu/Kihei fire was declared 100% contained 8/12. There are no active threats at this time.

* When a fire is 100% contained, it does not mean it has been extinguished. It means that firefighters have the blaze fully surrounded. A fire is declared “extinguished,” when fire personnel believe there is nothing left burning.

FATALITY UPDATE

The number of confirmed fatalities remains at 111, the Maui Police Department reported 8/17. The names of one victim of the Maui Wildfire Disaster was released tonight, 8/17, after the family was notified: Donna Gomes (71) of Lahaina. MPD reported tonight, 8/17, that 58% of the area has been searched.

UNSAFE WATER ADVISORY

The advisory remains in effect for certain areas until further notice and states that residents should not drink and/or boil water. Water sampling will continue 8/18 and 8/20. Water testing will continue for some time to ensure drinking it is safe. When it comes to health and safety, the county must follow state Department of Health and federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Water testing was performed for Lahaina and Upper Kula areas that were impacted by wildfires.

For residents in Lahaina and Upper Kula areas, maps of affected areas in Upcountry and in Lahaina were released on the county Department of Water Supply website, www.mauicounty.gov/water. Bottled water should be used for all drinking, brushing teeth, ice making and food preparation until further notice. Residents are unable to treat the water in any way to make it safe. Drinking water sites are set up in many areas of Lahaina and Kula.

POWER RESTORATION

As of 8/17, more than 400 Hawaiian Electric employees and contractors are continuing with efforts to rebuild sections of the electric grid and safely restore service in parts of West Maui and Upcountry. Crews are working to restore 1,900 customers in West Maui and 60 customers in Upcountry. Crews are installing a second mobile substation to support restoration for the Launiupoko to Olowalu areas. Substations step down power from high-voltage transmission lines to lower-voltage distribution lines that serve neighborhoods. The installation process takes time to connect the substation to the grid safely and reliably. Once online, the mobile substation would power facilities that provide essential needs. The company continues to work with state and county emergency management teams that prioritized critical circuits for restoration, including those serving stores, pharmacies, gas stations, county water, wastewater and public safety facilities.

DMVL SATELLITE OFFICE IN LAHAINA

The County of Maui Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing’s Lahaina Satellite Office will be closed for the holiday weekend starting Friday, 8/18. It will reopen Monday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lahaina Gateway Center, 325 Keawe St., to assist West Maui residents whose Hawaiʻi driver’s licenses or Hawaiʻi State Identification cards have been lost or destroyed by wildfires. The daily satellite office opened 8/16. For more information, call (808) 270-7363.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER (Due to privacy, no media allowed on premises)

The Family Assistance Center, for those seeking information on loved ones and for those who are unaccounted for, moved from Kahului Community Center to the Hyatt Regency’s Monarch Ballroom, 200 Nohea Kai Drive in Kaʻanapali. Starting 8/18, it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Expanded resources will be offered. Staff will work with families and individuals to gather information and administer DNA swabs. For FAC details, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. If you live on a neighbor island or the mainland, are the immediate family member (parent, sibling, or child) of a person missing as the result of the Maui wildfires, and you wish to provide a DNA sample to assist, call the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Honolulu Division at (808) 566-4300. 

COUNTY-FACILITATED WEST MAUI DISTRIBUTION SITES

Lahaina Gateway Center, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, will close 8/20 for a staff break. Napili Plaza is open around the clock for food, water and other needs.

TENTATIVE COMMUNITY MEETING POSTPONED

A West Maui community meeting tentatively slated Saturday has been postponed due to health and safety concerns over air quality.

HEALTH ADVISORY

The state Department of Health is urging caution for residents and business owners who are allowed to return to their properties in the Lahaina area. Dangers include ash that may contain toxic and cancer-causing chemicals including asbestos, arsenic and lead and debris including broken glass, exposed electrical wires, nails, wood, plastics and other objects. Unstable buildings and structures may contain hazardous materials and could collapse and cause injury. For more information about recommendations for personal protective equipment including masks and associated hazards, go to https://health.hawaii.gov/news/newsroom/doh-advises-caution-for-residents-returning-to-west-maui-area/.

ROAD OPENING

Late-night access on the road to Lahaina is limited to West Maui residents, first responders and West Maui employees from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. All motorists may enter from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Maui Police Department will cite and tow vehicles parked at the Lahaina Bypass, where there are no-parking signs.

WEATHER

According to the National Weather Service, fairly dry and stable conditions are expected across the islands through Friday. Breezy trade winds today, 8/17, are forecast to remain through tonight, then weaken Friday through the weekend. Rain associated with the remnants of post-tropical cyclone Fernanda is forecast to approach the state starting late Sunday and spread westward across the state on Monday and Tuesday. The highest rainfall amounts are forecast to occur Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning along windward and mountain slopes of Maui.

MATERIAL DONATIONS

Donations of non-perishable food, bottled water and hygiene products are being accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. near a vacant unit in Queen Ka’ahumanu Center at the Kane Street entrance. No clothes at this time, please. The new site is a partnership among the county, the state via Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and Mahi Pono. Mahi Pono will provide staff for the facility and work under leadership of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters to coordinate food and supplies distribution. The collection site at War Memorial Complex field off Kanaloa Avenue was closed 8/14.

ONLINE RESOURCE HUB FOR RESPONSE EFFORTS TO MAUI WILDFIRE DISASTER

An online, centralized hub to respond to the impacts of the Maui Wildfire Disaster was launched at mauinuistrong.info. The County of Maui Maui Nui Strong site offers information on how to donate, volunteer, offer services and look for support. It is administered through the county Office of Economic Development and will be utilized to connect people to resources and services.

TRANSPORTATION

Maui Economic Opportunity will offer free rides for medical appointments for people impacted by the fires who are sheltering at the South Maui Community Park Gymnasium and Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani. The service by reservation operates daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations can be made from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at (808) 877-7651.

Daily county shuttle service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Central Maui shelters to go to Central Maui shopping and medical locations. Riders are required to call Roberts Hawaii for same-day reservations at (808) 871-4838. Mobility devices accommodated. Luggage and bags will be limited to what can be carried. For all other transportation needs, riders may use The Maui Bus.

EMERGENCY SHELTERS (Due to privacy, no media allowed inside)

· Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Pukalani (Internet)

· War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku (Internet)

· The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kahului (Internet)

· Kings Cathedral Church, Kahului (Internet)

· South Maui Community Park Gymnasium, Kihei (Internet)

WEST MAUI MEDICAL

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesday, 8/15 to Friday, 8/18, Maui Health clinicians and physicians will provide first-aid, wound care, health and wellness checks and pharmacy services, including baby formula for all community members in need, regardless of health insurance, at Lahaina Gateway and Napili Plaza. For details, visit www.mauihealth.org/wildfire.

Kaiser Permanente is providing medical services to KP members and non-members at locations in Lahaina. Pharmacy courier services will be available at all three sites. These locations are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.
 · Kaiser Permanente’s Mobile Health Vehicle at Lahaina Gateway: Providing first aid, pediatric services, and OB/GYN services. OB/GYN services began 8/14 and will be offered every Friday beginning 8/18.

· Kaiser Permanente First Aid Station at the Hyatt Regency Lahaina, Lahaina Ballroom, and Napili Market: Providing first aid services.

COMMUNICATION

Text, not talk, is best for locations that have connectivity. Maui County updates will now be aired daily at noon on local radio stations. The final Civil Air Patrol Hawaiʻi Wing broadcast via loudspeaker was 8/16.

FEMA OPENS DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER ON MAUI

Maui residents affected by the recent wildfires can apply for federal disaster assistance at a joint Disaster Recovery Center that operates daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the University of Hawaii Maui College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului. Speak to FEMA specialists, get help registering for disaster assistance, connect with volunteer organizations and have access to federal and state resources.