Understanding the Maui Fires – Pacific RISA – Managing Climate Risk in the Pacific Islands

Understanding the Maui Fires: Resources

Our hearts go out to the families, friends, colleagues, and everyone affected by the devastating fires on Maui. As this tragedy continues to unfold, the Pacific RISA team is committed to supporting the communities that have suffered.

For anyone who would like to help, there are many ways to support Maui families through donations and mutual aid. Here are a few ways to donate or help:

• Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund Providing financial assistance that can be rapidly deployed for disaster relief
• Maui Food Bank is accepting donations online and in person (see webpage for needed food and aid items) and is coordinating an emergency volunteer response on Maui to help island residents
• Maui United Way Providing daily grant funding to grassroots organizations on Maui to meet urgent community needs
• Maui Humane Society Accepting monetary donations as well as pet food and supplies in an effort to reunite lost pets with their owners and caring for animals injured in the fire
• Native Hawaiian Advancement Council Matching donations through the Kako’omaui Foundation to provide shelter, food, financial assistance and other services to those affected by the fires
• this Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization Accepting donations for ongoing relief efforts and working with communities and grassroots organizations to reduce risk and increase preparedness for climate-related wildfire disasters
• A List of fundraisers for direct donations to Maui fire victims A fundraising page has been developed with direct links to fire victims
• Maui Rapid Response Team Created This online form Effectively matching community needs with the large influx of offers from around the island
• To determine if an online charity is reputable, you can use This resource Hawaii Attorney General’s Office

For other latest information and updates, please see the following pages:

Here, we’ve provided some resources to help you understand the background and science of wildfires in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The following articles, books, and web resources explore how fires and their impacts are influenced by factors such as colonialism, drought, invasive species, and climate change, as well as possible solutions. We will continue to update this page with relevant resources.

Pacific RISA joins other climate organizations in focusing greater efforts and determination to work with communities in Hawai’i to create a secure, just, and equitable climate future.

Internet resources
Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO)
Pacific Fire Exchange
Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange
Hawaii Climate Data Portal

Hawaii Wildfire Overview (Excerpt from HWMO)

The role of weather, climate change and/or invasive species in wildfires

Academic articles and books

Kamelamela, KL and co-authors, 2022: Kōkua aku, Kōkua mai: Indigenous consensus-driven and place-based approaches to community-led dryland restoration and management. Forest Ecology and Management, 506119949, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119949

Trauernicht, C., E. Pickett, C. P. Giardina, C. M. Litton, S. Cordell, and A. Beavers, 2015: Contemporary scale and context of Hawaii wildfires. Pacific Science, 69427–444.

Trauernicht, C., E. Pickett, P. Beimler, CP Giardina, S. Cordell, JB Friday, E. Moller and CM Litton, 2018: Assessing Fire Management Needs in the Pacific Islands: A Collaborative Approach. Fire Management Today, 7630–35.

Articles and stories in the popular media

“Why Hawaii wildfires are getting bigger and more intense”
Cynthia Weissendorf, Hawaii Business Magazine, November 11, 2022

“These factors make it difficult to put out Maui’s deadly wildfire”
By Ray Sanchez, CNN, August 10, 2023

“How climate change is turning lush Hawaii into a powder keg”
By Christopher Flavelle and Manuela Andreoni, New York TimesAugust 10, 2023

“Chaos and terror: Communications failure leaves Maui residents trapped by fire. Dozens dead.”
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Alexandra E. Petri and Richard Winton, Los Angeles TimesAugust 11, 2023

“Fire destroys Native Hawaiian archive on Maui, mutual aid campaign launched to help Lahaina”
Democracy Now! (Video and Transcript), August 11, 2023

“‘Unprecedented’: Fire experts say climate and native vegetation changes exacerbated Maui wildfires”
Democracy Now! (Video), August 11, 2023

“Experiencing Maui’s unimaginable wildfires”
By Carolyn Kormann, The New YorkerAugust 11, 2023

“Maui fires not just caused by climate change, but a ‘compound disaster’”
By Scott Dance Washington postAugust 12, 2023

“Records show Hawaii underestimated deadly threat of wildfires”
CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 (Video)

“Hawaii wildfires: Did scientists expect Maui to burn?”
By Emma Marris, nature News, August 14, 2023

“Why Maui burned”
Vox, Today’s Reading, August 15, 2023

“Maui grassfire cycle analysis”
BBC (video), 17 August 2023

“Locals have been warning about Lahaina wildfire risk for years”
Anita Hofschneider, Grist.org, August 17, 2023

“How 19th-century pineapple plantations turned Maui into a powder keg”
Claire Wang, guardianAugust 27, 2023

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