Maui after its fires is shaking, staggered by its pain and its loss. It will never be quite the same.

Green sea turtles on the Honokeana Cove beach, with their heron friend

Yet the people of Maui have determination to recover and rebuild. And part of that rebuilding is welcoming the travelers on whom Maui’s economy has learned to depend.

I just returned from a two week visit to West Maui and offer this blog to my friends and readers to answer many of their questions, as an addition to my previous blogs about Hawaii.

Disclaimer. I am not Hawaiian, so far as I know not even a teeny bit. However, I have visited Hawaii dozens of times. My wife and I own a condominium at Honokeana Cove in West Maui, which we rent to vacationers. I have served on the homeowners association board multiple times. I set up its rental website and still maintain it. And during August 2023, when the property had neither electricity nor internet, I answered dozens of electronic inquiries from past guests, reacting to devastating reports about the fires hitting Maui. So perhaps I can answer your questions too!

            Is Anything Left of Maui After Its Fires?

Sunset at Honokeana Cove

When a disaster occurs, initial reportage is long on drama and short on specifics. Heart-wrenching scenes are presented as representative, but often those scenes are the exception rather than the rule. It takes many days before the public learns the scope and exact location of the damaged area.

Maui after its fires was no exception. But eventually the truth became known: homes and businesses in the downtown part of Lahaina were mostly obliterated; there were brush fires causing destruction of some homes in other parts of Maui; and there were additional temporary power and water outages.

The streets into Lahaina Town are still barricaded: only property owners and residents are allowed in at this time. However, that’s only the 3.39 square miles that burned, of Maui’s 727.2 total square miles. Thus over 99% of Maui’s area, although deeply in sorrow, is intact.

            Secondary Effects in Maui After Its Fires

The loss of lives, buildings and history is surely tragic. However, a disaster also causes secondary effects that are not immediately evident.

A few examples:

• Some undamaged businesses could not open due to lack of clean water or electric power.
• People whose job required smiling at tourists dreaded returning to their jobs and abruptly quit.
• As a perceived outsider, at least one teenager encountered such hostility in a Maui high school that his family left Hawaii altogether.
• Several business owners who were approaching retirement reacted to the disruption of Maui after its fires by closing their business.

However, opposite examples also abound:

• Local restaurants provided food and in some cases a place to sleep for the homeless.
• Hotels and many condo properties like ours made rooms available at no cost as temporary housing.
• Local charities received donated time, money and supplies from near and abroad.

            What About Visiting Maui After Its Fires?

The Hawaii Tourism Authority asks visitors to come to Maui, and to show compassion. Specifically:

• Pack your patience and grace.
• Do not enter the impacted area of Lahaina Town or take photos of the area, even from afar.
• Support local businesses.

And here’s my common-sense addition:

• Don’t remind locals of their losses by talking about the fire. If they feel the need to share something, they will bring it up.

            Touring Advice

Oceanside ambiance at Longhi’s Kaanapali Italian Restaurant, West Maui

There are literally hundreds of activities for you on Maui which were not damaged by the fires. Outside of Lahaina, there are a few businesses and attractions that are still closed because the lives of their employees were disrupted, either directly or indirectly. But unless you, personally, just HAVE TO GO to Fleetwood’s Bar in downtown Lahaina, you can still have a wonderful time, anywhere on Maui.

And bear in mind: it doesn’t require a fire to close a wonderful restaurant. Sometimes the passage of time will do it. Nola and I mourned the loss of Chez Paul, Gerard’s French Restaurant, Frida’s Mexican Beach House, Pineapple Grill, Lahaina Coolers and many others, long before the fires. However: we found substitutes, and trust me, we will not starve!

            One Last Tip

If you’re on the Mainland reading this and decide to go to Maui, you will be a tourist, a visitor. So do the things that tourists do. Visit Haleakala, go to Hana, see the Iao Valley, enjoy the Ocean Center Aquarium, ride a Whale Watch cruise, shop at Whalers Village, attend a luau, and sample fabulous food. When you visit venues that tourists visit, you will encounter people whose jobs and lives depend on the dollars from vacationers. They are grateful for your visit and will help you have a wonderful time!

You should avoid doing things that only locals do, such as stopping at a roadside park where local families are picnicking, or getting into an argument in a neighborhood bar. There may be folks in those places who are suffering from their losses, and would rather not have you in their personal space.

Follow these cues and Maui will embrace you, showing all of its traditional Aloha spirit.

Drawing Credit: Photos taken by Art Chester at Honokeana Cove, West Maui, October 2023