Debris and ash removal from the 100th residential property in Lahaina was completed Wednesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency assigned the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove the debris.
The Corps began earlier this month removing more than 400,000 tons from Lahaina and transporting it to the temporary debris storage site in Olowalu.
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has promised Olowalu will not be a permanent site.
County officials have narrowed down a permanent site from seven locations to three: two in West Maui and one in Central Maui.
Both West Maui sites are government-owned, undeveloped, and near the temporary Olowalu debris site, according to a county presentation. Disadvantages of a Wahikuli area site include its proximity to the coast and existing residential areas.
The Central Maui Landfill in Puʻunene has county-owned lands where the debris and ash can be buried, but it's 26 miles from Lahaina so traffic impacts would be an issue.
The final selection is scheduled for March 1. Click here to share your thoughts on the final storage site through Feb. 15.
The death toll from the wildfire that destroyed the historic town in August rose to 101 on Tuesday after Maui police confirmed the identity of one new victim, a 76-year-old man.
