Updated Friday 8/11 at 1 am. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has continued asking that all non-essential visitors to Maui depart the island. That, in addition to asking those who would otherwise be arriving to postpone travel to the entire island of Maui until further assessment. The extraordinary gravity of the situation on Maui is still unfolding as of Friday morning.
“For those coming to Hawaii over the next weeks or perhaps even months, depending on what we learn as the situation unfolds, a safer alternative is to plan travel to Kauai and Oahu.
Visitors who are on non-essential travel are being asked to leave Maui, and non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time. In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses.
Visitors who have travel plans to West Maui in the coming weeks are encouraged to consider rescheduling their travel plans for a later time.”
Hawaii Tourism Authority
They also said that “visitors with travel plans to stay in other parts of Maui (not the West Maui/Kaanapali area) , in the coming weeks are encouraged to contact their hotels for updated information and how their travel plans may be affected.”
West Maui has limited communications and power.
It has just become possible as of (with limited access) to reach West Maui via the Internet and telephone. And we have yet to hear when the data and cellular providers believe they can restore service. Beat of Hawaii editors have relatives and other loved ones in that area with whom we have only now just made contact.
The entire Maui infrastructure is over the edge.
While the physical infrastructure of South Maui is intact and hasn’t suffered any damage, the issues go far beyond those issues of just the fire.
Maui Hospital employee and regular Beat of Hawaii commentor Eldo just posted:
“I work in the ER of Maui’s only hospital. I was there from 3 PM yesterday until 7 AM today. I’m going back this afternoon.
It was horrific. I plead to anyone with a trip planned to Maui in the coming months to please cancel their trip. Our infrastructure, usually at maximum capacity, has been pushed over the brink. We will have thousands of newly homeless individuals, entire families, to care for. Our hospital will be over capacity caring for burn victims. There will be shortages of many essential items and services for many weeks if not months.
Please help us by staying home and allowing us the chance to help those who need help the most.”
We will be further updates later Friday morning.
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Hawaiian islands are small & don’t have many resources, without animals (meat other than fish ) & food crops being imported, the islands are not self sustainable , everything must be imported, so without airports, cruise ships, hotels, Hawaiian islands would be extremely poor financially, so to have an attitude against tourism, it’s like biting the hand that feeds you , be grateful that tourists want to visit an island 🏝️
I think you got this wrong. West Maui is closed but other parts of Maui isn’t. Maui still needs tourism for their economy.
We (4 of us), have had our trip planned since March and were counting down the days until we could leave to go to your beautiful state that GOD so graciously gave you. We have reservations at Napili Kai resort. Our trip is for 10 days and will be from Oct. 14th to Oct. 23rd.
We don’t know what to do! Some are saying please come and support us and our businesses, and some are saying to stay away.
We definately do not want to be disrespectful in any way and we do understand the devistation everyone is facing.
Please help us decide what to do! We don’t want to be in the way by any means, but we also want to help contribute to your fragile economy.
Please reply to the email address provided. Thank you and may God bless and be with you all!!!
Hi Theresa.
We’ll provide updates here as soon as we have more information.
Aloha.
Thank you so much for trying to clarify travel recommendations. I have family in Kihei and am hoping to visit in November. Between conversations with them and updates from you I should be able to make the best decision possible when the time comes. In the meantime my heart and prayers are with the people of Maui. You have Ohana here❤️
I had a seat on AA from HNL to LAX, departing Thu Aug 10. I tried both online (chat) and in-person to give my seat to someone trying to get home. I could have delayed my trip.
No interest from AA, their Hawaii travel advisory only listed OGG.
Fri or Sat they added HNL to their advisory.
There were a long list of standby passengers hoping for a seat to LAX.
Sad. I would have been happy to help someone get off island sooner.
No matter what they were experiencing in Dallas, the HNL station manager could have been aware of the situation.
Wishing all well, and may you find comfort soon to those who have lost homes, property or loved ones.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Maui, first responders and tourists that had to evacuate. I will always have fond memories of our time spent there. Such a beautiful and magical place. ❤️🙏❤️
Maui residents please consider allowing island architects to develop a master plan using 1 billion from the feds, 200 million from Ford Foundation, 100 Million from the state, 200 million from Bishop Estate to jump start a 3 year recovery plan for Lahaina.
Insurance money will dribble in but instead of rebuilding and risking more fires, why not accept a master plan that encourages land swaps, smaller hotels and more activities.
Someone the caliber of Stephen Mechler could dream up a new oasis that might attract even more tourists to lush island flora and fauna amid boutique shops selling one of a kind artistic creations as well as the usual island knick knacks.
The Coast guard needs to assess how to rescue islanders since there are onlly 13 fire trucks for 3 islands.
Maybe the state will have to set up a captive mortgage co.
They lost their library so perhaps a modern library like the one in Plano Texas or the Temecula CA, might be in order.
Get the military to sell off 20,000 acres and donate that money to rebuilding.
Ellison should buy Lanai and Maui new state of the art trucks and perhaps a massive pumping station that uses salt water to extinguish fires within 3000 feet of the beach can be explored.
Aloha
SR
Bradley,
I’ve taken my housekeeper’s lead. She identified two worthy organizations for us to focus our support towards.
The primary one she and now I am supporting is King’s Cathedral in Kahului. They have cleared their church to make it a sleeping shelter for 200+ persons. They have made their parking lot available to survivors who still have vehicles and can sleep in them. They are providing breakfast, dinner. They are donations of items and money.
Many stores on island are now setting up bins for shoppers to purchase and leave items (food, hygiene items and diapers are needed and appreciated). Come to the island and help!
Hi Elen.
HTA: “Due to capacity limitations, please consider making financial rather than physical donations.”
Aloha.
Thank you for keeping us Mainlanders updated on the status of Maui travel and the well being of the residents. Is there anything of service we can do to assist if we still arrive ~ M. Sept? We come here two or three time a year and feel the pain & suffering of the local residents and the survivors of this disaster. We’d like to assist where possible.
Hi Bradley.
Thanks. Those opportunities will appear more clearly once we get a little further. Stand by for that.
Aloha.
Stay Maui Strong I have faith in all! I’ve lived there for years and I know for fact that your right helping one another with whatever’s needed or you can possibly find fund what’s needed! If more people in this world was like locals it would certainly be a kinder place! It’s not the end it’s a new beginning for all and it will be much better it’s always seems to work out! Keep the faith and Stay Maui Strong!
Be concideret to the locals and do not travel to maui
Those beds are for those who lost thier homes
Prayers for all affected in the West Mau’i/Hawai’an fires. Have visited Lahaina /Ka’anapali many, many times over the past 30 years and my heart breaks at the devastation, current homelessness and the overall destruction of so many historic sites. I knowci will not see West Mau’i the same in my lifetime 😭. Blessings to all my Mau’i Ohana.
Aloha, many thanks for your continuing excellent information about Hawaii. Like everyone here, I simply love the Hawaiian Islands and my heart breaks for Maui. I wanted to ask your opinion about Maui travel plans for early December. I feel like I should cancel and give then time to heal. Or, I could go and try to help. I’m booked at my timeshare in Kaanapali. I’m not getting information from them yet and I wanted to ask your opinion. I don’t see how they would be ready for us by then. Thoughts?
Hi Theresa.
Thank you. It’s so early and we have no crystal ball. Our gut sense concurs with yours.
Aloha.
Aloha Rob and Jeff
Difficult times indeed. Tourism will be crucial to Maui’s healing. The grey area is how soon. My sense is it will be sooner rather than later. At some point staying away from Maui will just compound the pain of the people that live there with a further loss of jobs. Key will be supporting the rebuilding process while refocusing tourism on the rich and varied beauty that is Maui and it’s people. I’m guessing there will be many voices in the business and local community that will let us know when they are ready.
We have talked to a few residents regarding our planned September trip, and were met with “please come”. The thought being so many depend upon tourism for their livelihood. Hard to know what is best- just waiting till there is a better sense of how to proceed. Rebuilding will depend upon many factors… continued tourism being one. Such a heartbreak .
Hi Monica.
If your September trip is west Maui, the answer is no. Otherwise we’ll have an update and perhaps the answer is yes.
Aloha.
May God bless the residents of Maui and protect them. My heart breaks for them and for the history that was destroyed.
My heart is with my neighbors in Maui. They need to let everyone that wants to help give what they have. Too many are being turned away. This is what the locals want to do to show their support and aloha spirit. It is Hawaii.
I support Solar 100%, but could this be one of the reasons why this fire got so bad? These battery packs, which most Solar have, do explode if exposed to intense heat. I haven’t heard this, but it makes sense to me.
Big Island Resident
My heart breaks for Maui. Please everyone on the mainland, help by sending donations to Maui charities.
Maui and Hawaii have given my family so many happy vacations over the years. I am indebted and it is time to help!
I agree. I donated to the Maui food bank and the Maui Humane Society. It is so heartbreaking.
We’re going home today. Feel so terrible for everyone and everything happening. We’re from Oregon that has experienced catastrophic fires in recent years. We’ve coming back but not until you are ready.
We pray for the citizens of Maui and hope to offer support in anyway we can. We have spent a great deal if time in West Maui and love it’s beauty and magic. We know this very special place will recover and we hope the world will give you the time and peace to do that.
🙏Prayers from Oklahoma for everyone effected by this horrible fire.
Was a visitor in Kaanapali during the fire. Flew out AM 8/9. Due to lack of information was unaware of the extent of the disaster until departure. So sorry I didn’t do more to help out.
This is an enormous catastrophe and we are only in the beginning stages of dealing with it. Once we get past the immediate search and recovery phase we have to re-situate people who have lost their homes. Maui is totally unprepared for that.
We need urgent housing solutions. I would suggest requiring every hotel to offer 1 – 2% of their rooms for displaced Lahaina residents.
Then we need to get these people back to work. The state needs to expedite the issuance of new business licenses to create jobs.
Finally we need to rebuild Lahaina. We need a master plan for the community and an expedited construction permit approval process.
All of this needs to be done quickly.
Are Maui’s leaders up to the task?
Michael,
Yours is a well thought out assessment and provides good suggestions. To respond to your closing line, is Maui’s leadership up to the task… that is the Big Unknown. Will Maui’s current leadership be willing to adopt fresh approaches and be open to assistance and ideas?
We just left Maui Saturday before fires. Our hearts are broken for the beautiful people that call it home. You are in our constant thoughts and prayers.
Why do the not mention that the Big Island is fine and open for Tourism? We are the largest island and have plenty of room. The few fires we had were very small and contained very quickly, the same day.
Thank you for your post as I’ve been wondering if we can still come to the Big Island. We are scheduled to be there from 9/10 to 9/17. Everything I’ve read says tourists should come to Oahu and Kauai but they aren’t mentioning the Big Island.
Praying for the residents of Maui who have lost everything.
Hi Kim.
There are no issues with travel to the Big Island at this time.
Aloha.
Aloha
My heart and prayers go out to all the Maui residents. Besides not visiting, how can non local people help? Can you provide a list of reputable organizations that people can donate to- perhaps local organizations so we feel good our contributions are going toward those impacted or towards resources that are helping to rebuild the island and communities impacted.
Stay strong….again my heart and prayers are with you!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Hi Lisa.
A list of organizations appears in a red notification bar at the top of all pages on our website. Thanks for asking.
Aloha.
Praying for your families and friends!
Stay strong 🌺
We were heading to the airport from Kahana but was told to turned around and take the north route. No one told the community up north that hundreds of car were coming through their narrow 1 lane sharp turn roads.
Prayers for our friends in Maui. We our heartbroken over the devastating loss of life and structure. We will definitely stay away until told we may return. The magnitude of this disaster is hard to comprehend.
We are praying for all of you. Devastating. How can we help?
Please catch and punish the arsonists responsible.
Were Kaanapali and Kapalua evacuated?
Hi Curtis.
Yes it is our understanding that they were. There are no accessible infrastructure on West Maui from everything we are being told.
Aloha.
What I’d find more suitable as a communication from HTA and the Lt. Governor, as well as for their action, is information explaining the Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Response Planning that went into this incident as well as overall. Their communications thus far are for actions that have little to no relevance of the safety and welfare of the residents and visitors.
With knowledge of hurricanes as well as wildfires and the conditions that make them most hazardous (drought conditions and high winds), what was done in advance? We’re power lines hardened or shut off to protect?
Why did the emergency warnings not trigger in Lahaina? Many are not aware of this. I learned that heroes on bicycles rode through the streets in the early morning yelling fire and evacuate.
In South Maui where cell service was supposedly working, one family I know had only 1 of their three cell phones issue an evacuation notice at 1am in the morning. At the evacuation center, all 3 of their phones provided the 630am evacuation cancel notice.
if only 33% or 50% of residents/visitors received adequate notice… what is the explanation? What was known of effectiveness of the warning systems.
If high winds were known arriving, why did Maui be left to rely on low firefighting staff (reported as 65 firefighters).
These are the questions and communications I’d strongly prefer from Lt. Gov and HTA.
Praying for Maui & it’s residents for strength and healing and a quick return to their peaceful lives in their restored homes.
What’s the best way to contribute to aiding the victims of this disaster? I’d like to avoid donating to large organizations that have have high administrative overhead.
Everyone in California is praying for you all of you with love and send I your Aloha spirit back you all of you to wrap and embrace you during this sad time.
Watching from outside the island, this all still seems so surreal. I’d do whatever I could to help, if it were my.place to do so at some point. Really hopeful that everyone remaining is found safe.
Alaska airlines needs to catchup to this guidance- they’re not offering to compensate changes past 8/15 so on 8/16 floods of visitors will return. We’re trying to rebook to another island but they’ve raised the prices to over $1k per person! HAL is the only airline who understands as they are local.
We are all with you here on the mainland. The destruction and devastation tears at our hearts. We feel so helpless at this time and will certainly honor your wish. Please take care of your own. We will help when opportunity arises. Bless you, your island and your people. Thank you for working in the ER. As a fellow healthcare worker I can attest to the need of focus on the care of patients.
Heartbroken to hear the Maui news. Truly what I consider to be paradise. I pray for those impacted by this horrific event. Wishing the island and people of the island a speedy recovery.
Happy to find you. Our daughter lives there and is safe but communication is impossible.
I trust that the overflow of patients needing medical care will be medivaced to hospitals on Oahu. Will facilities on other Islands be helping out?
The neighbor islands don’t have advanced trauma care and burn units. Oahu is where patients in dire condition go.
I pray for victims and families injured and displaced by this horrific tragedy. Hope that Maui receives aid from the US mainland soon.