LAHAINA, Hawaii — At the northern end of Front Street, visitors crowd the sidewalks, waiting for tables and meandering between businesses that survived the 2023 wildfire, which was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. Mala Ocean Tavern is serving customers. So are Old Lahaina Luau, Lahaina Cannery Mall, Star Noodle, Honu Oceanside and others.

Farther south, the tour boats have returned to Lahaina Harbor, drawing people back to the waterfront. But nearby, the Old Lahaina Courthouse is still a burned shell, cracked and charred with missing windows. Its four large pillars still stand, but the roof they once held up is no longer there. Visitors stop to take a photo of Lahaina’s famous banyan tree just beyond the courthouse; behind a metal fence, the tree is steadily rebounding. 

Between those pockets of activity lies the heart of Front Street, which is closed and inaccessible. Orange barriers and “do not enter” signs block much of where the town’s commercial center once buzzed with restaurants, shops, art galleries and tourists. 

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The recovering historic banyan tree, which was planted in 1873 and burned during the 2023 wildfire, appears behind the remains of the Old Lahaina Courthouse in Lahaina on Aug. 4, 2024. 

Wind-driven flames tore through the coastal town in August 2023, killing at least 102 people and leaving rubble and ash in their wake. More than 2,200 homes, businesses and other structures were destroyed, and more than 12,000 people were displaced. Today, just 751 households have transitioned out of housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while 530 remain in FEMA-provided temporary housing and another 260 receive rental assistance, even as the island continues to face a severe shortage in affordable housing.

Almost three years later, Lahaina’s full recovery is still far off. At the same time, Maui County continues to lose residents at an accelerated rate; its population is down 3,400 since the disaster. Uncertainty over how and when much of Lahaina will be rebuilt, including along Front Street, has added to the growing frustration. 

Moving slowly forward

As I drive through Lahaina, signs of progress are easy to miss, given the large scale of the devastation. There are many empty lots where only foundations remain, some now overtaken by overgrowth. Still, rebuilding is happening.

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Nearly 200 residential homes have been reconstructed and are approved for occupancy, while more than 500 building permits have been issued for homes. But it’s clear there is a long way to go.

Next to the Lahaina Harbor on Maui, the entrance to Front Street is blocked by orange barricades and “do not enter” signs.

“There’s a good number of houses being rebuilt, but then you do see a good amount of lots that are still untouched,” Jordan Ruidas, the founder of the community organization Lahaina Strong, told SFGATE. She said that the community has expressed to the group that there are “still some holdups” in the permitting process, and properties along the shoreline especially seem to be stalled. “[They] are still kind of not sure what the building process is going to look like for them,” she said, referring to the county’s plans for this area.

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Lahaina homeowners navigating the rebuilding process must work through insurance claims and financing, while those along the shoreline face additional hurdles, like historic district and coastal regulations.

Lahaina Strong has been........

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