Lahaina resident Bhejay Yadao's parents saved for decades to buy a home in 2022. The following year, they renovated to better accommodate his cancer survivor grandmother, who was recovering from surgery.
“My grandparents only slept [in] that new bedroom one day prior to the fire. The fire happened the next day,” Yadao said.
He was 23 years old at the time. Before and after work every day, he navigated their mortgage company, lawyers and insurance, attended resource fairs, applied for housing, ensured his younger brothers had school supplies, and called any leads he could find for assistance.
“I just wanted my family's health and well-being at a good straight. Like I can take the toll, but I don't want my family taking the toll with me. So it was just kind of me doing everything,” he said. “It was basically just me praying every day just for a miracle to happen.”
That miracle for the Yadao family came in the form of a partnership of organizations that helped them rebuild their home. Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, Mennonite Disaster Service and Lahaina Community Land Trust, along with others, made it possible for the family of seven to move in earlier this year.
Yadao couldn’t be more grateful.
“We went from nothing to overcoming to rebuilding, and now we're just truly blessed with people that helped us,” he said. “We finally got a sense of peace, like what it used to be like before the fire.”
Today, the Yadao’s house is one of hundreds that have been rebuilt over the past three years, out of more than 2,200 structures that burned in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui.
Mayor Richard Bissen said the county had estimated shortly after the wildfires that it would take two to three years just to get a building permit.
“We have over 500 homes built in Lahaina,” Bissen said during a press conference in July. “There are over 700 permits that are approved and another 700 plus that are waiting for approval. I don't think we expected to be that far along.”
But Bissen acknowledged rebuilding continues to be an individual journey.
“If you're someone who hasn't been rebuilt, this process is feeling very, very long. There's no question about that,” he said. “If you're someone who's rebuilt and moved back into your home, you feel a different way. It depends on which side you're on.”
Additionally, nearly 700 fire survivor households are still relying on FEMA housing assistance, which is set to expire in February.
This time last year, Lahaina fire debris was being hauled from the temporary site in Olowalu to the permanent disposal site in central Maui. That process finished at the end of 2025.
On Aug. 1, Front Street reopened for the first time since the wildfire, with new pavement, railings, sidewalks and trees.
It has brought mixed feelings among residents, with more traffic and tourists to the area. But it marks another step towards commercial rebuilding in the area, which is just getting underway.
“It's difficult to see sometimes when you're not seeing shovels in the ground yet,” said Maui County Deputy Managing Director Erin Wade. “There's really a lot of activity happening moving towards construction and rebuilding Front Street in Lahaina.”
“We have five properties that have received project permits, two more that are on the verge of being issued, and about a dozen or more that are currently in consultation,” Wade continued.
This fall, ‘Ulu o Lele Marketplace will mark the first storefront reopening in Lahaina with local vendors.
However, rebuilding will be difficult, if not impossible, for the 10 commercial properties on the makai side of Front Street, many of which relied on buildings overhanging the ocean. Those over-water leases were managed by the state, and were discontinued after the fire, according to Wade.
“Their building footprint was significantly reduced, and many of them are trying to decide if it makes sense for them to rebuild,” Wade said. “So, as a result, we did set up a buyout program for folks that are challenged to be able to rebuild. So, what would happen is they would let us know if they were interested and willing to be bought out, and then we would, as the County of Maui, dedicate it to open space and public access.”
Among fire survivors, there are some positive trends. Eighty percent are now employed, up from 60% a year ago. There’s also an increase in those with permanent housing. That’s according to a three-year report from the University of Hawaiʻi's Maui Wildfire Exposure Study based on 2,500 participants.
Yet food insecurity remains a problem, with nearly half of fire survivor adults saying they don’t have reliable access to adequate food.
Mental health also continues to be a challenge. Almost half of adults report depression, and one in five have post-traumatic stress symptoms. In children, cases of severe depression increased from 11 to 15%.
In his new home, Yadao says he’s trying to settle into routines and refocus on his own health.
“Taking that time just to be mindful, going to the gym, going out for more walks by myself, just to clear my mind from all of this,” he said. “It was pretty dramatic of what I did for the past few years, but now it's kind of feeling more at ease.”
Yadao said some neighbors have moved back in, and others are still rebuilding.
“My mom has her garden all set, so we just kind of give people vegetables, just to help out your neighbor,” he said.
And three years on, a sense of community is slowly returning, one neighbor at a time.
