18 months after wildfires destroyed some 2,000 homes on Maui, only 3 have been rebuilt

In August 2023 , wildfires devastated the island of Maui , completely destroying the town of Lahaina and dealing severe damage to other communities on the island.

As of last week , roughly a year and a half since the fires, a total of three of those homes have been rebuilt.

Maui has belatedly opened a private permitting office to help expedite permits.

The state government has also backtracked on regulatory streamlining that could speed up rebuilding efforts even more.

Maui's Special Management Area law still applies in full force to commercial rebuilds.

At least two public hearings (and potentially more) would be required before building permits can be issued.

Rising building material costs have left many Maui residents effectively underinsured, adding uncovered expenses to any rebuilding project.