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  • April

    One of the 500 properties in Maui which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared of wildfire debris by April 2. There were approximately 1,600 properties impacted by the wildfires Aug. 8, 2023. Once a property is cleared of debris, USACE staff will then test the soil to ensure it is safe. Once safe and erosion control installed, USACE staff notify County of Maui that the property is complete and ready to begin the rebuilding process. (Photo by John Daves)

    USACE reaches milestone in Hawai‘i wildfire debris removal mission

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared debris from the 500th residential property within Lahaina, Hawai’i, April 2.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Recovery Field Office Commander Col. Eric Swenson is joined by parents, community members and passersby to welcome back students as they were dropped off for their first day of school at the new King Kamehameha III Elementary School temporary campus installed by USACE. Swenson waved at smiling kids and parents thrilled to get to this milestone in the recovery process.

    April 1st a day for Lahaina’s young scholars to remember

    April 1, 2024 marks the first day that King Kamehameha III Elementary School students attend classes at the temporary replacement campus. The Lahaina school, damaged beyond repair in the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, became an important project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After receiving a critical public facilities mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, USACE handled the $78 million elementary school installation, subcontracting Pono Aina Management, a Native Hawaiian organization.

  • March

    The first truckload of fire debris from a commercial property was hauled to the Temporary Debris Storage Site in West Maui, March 22, 2024. This was the first commercial property debris removal operation for commercial property impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. (USACE photo by Edward Rivera)

    USACE begins Phase 2 commercial debris removal operations in Lahaina

    A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor began hauling debris from commercial properties impacted by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires in the town of Lahaina, Hawai’i, March 22. This begins Phase 2 of the debris removal process that includes removal of remaining structural ash and debris, as well as soil testing.
  • A Hawaiian dedication ceremony, which included pū and ‘oli, for the temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School led by cultural practitioner Kaniala Masoe of Maui. (USACE photo by Makenzie Leonard)

    Temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School Campus Dedicated March 25

    A blessing and dedication ceremony was hosted March 25, by the Hawaii Department of Education with federal, state and local partners coming together to celebrate the opening of a temporary replacement campus for the King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was damaged beyond repair in the Aug. 8, 2024, Lahaina wildfires.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors remove a submarine during vessel debris removal operations near the harbor in Lahaina, Hawai‘i, Feb. 18, 2024. The submarine was one of the fleet of commercial tourist submarines for citizens and tourists to view marine life around Maui. To ensure debris removal operations are conducted safely, there is significant coordination and safety planning between USACE and the contractor performing the work. USACE is overseeing the debris removal mission under a FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency mission assignment, which is part of a coordinated effort with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the County of Maui and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up areas of the island affected by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. (USACE Photo by Robert DeDeaux)

    USACE completes vessel debris removal operations, reaches major milestone

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers debris removal mission on Maui reached an important milestone on March 15. Under the management and supervision of USACE, contractors completed the removal of vessel debris from 80 fire-damaged vessels received from the U.S. Coast Guard.

  • February

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pleased to announce the successful installation and turnover of the temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education Feb. 27. In collaboration with FEMA and the State of Hawai‘i, USACE embarked on a mission to design and oversee the installation of this critical educational facility following the devastating wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023, which displaced approximately 600 elementary school students from their original Lahaina school.

    USACE Transfers Lahaina Temporary Elementary School to Hawaii State Department of Education

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pleased to announce the successful installation and turnover of the temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education Feb. 27. In collaboration with FEMA and the State of Hawai‘i, USACE embarked on a mission to design and oversee the installation of this critical educational facility following the devastating wildfires of Aug. 8, 2023, which displaced approximately 600 elementary school students from their original Lahaina school.

  • January

    Kelvin Chan, a structural engineer from the Technical Center of Expertise for the Preservation of Historic Structures, takes notes about structural characteristics historic building in the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District on Maui, Jan. 21. Chan is one of three members of a team of specialists from the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who were assisting the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Mission on a Federal Emergency Management Agency mission assigned task order. The team was not required to wear the hoodies of their protective suits because of the low risk of contact with ash or debris while evaluating structures and buildings. The buildings were damaged in the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires on Maui.

    Historic building specialists visit Lahaina National Historic Landmark District, survey structures impacted by Hawaiʻi Wildfires

    A specialized team consisting of a structural engineer, historical architect and historian assisted the Hawaiʻi Wildfires Mission by assessing structures in or adjacent to the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District on Maui, Jan. 17-21.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues work on the critical public facility as part of the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery mission. Contractors will place 337 modular units to form ten large and 20 small classrooms. Besides the classrooms, the campus will include three restrooms, one administration building, one learning center, and one combination dining and food service center. As of Jan. 8, 2024, 300 units are on site and ready for placement. The modular school is a temporary replacement for the King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which served the students of Lahaina since 1913.

    USACE continues the Hawaii Wildfires Recovery Mission

    More than five months after the August 8 wildfires in Hawaii ravaged large portions of Maui including Lahaina, the former capital of the Hawaiian Empire, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues working on a Federal Emergency Management Agency mission to remove debris from affected areas.

  • December

    Recovery Field Office members conduct a Rehearsal of Concept for Phase 2 of the Lahaina wildfire mission. The RFO serves as a mini district and an extension of the affected district. Operations, mission management, logistics, public affairs, internal review, and others operate and are housed in the RFO.

    JFO, RFO, EFO one mission; one Ohana – USACE employees deploy to assist Maui recovery from the wildfires

    When fire ravished the historic towns of Lahaina and Kula, Hawai’i, on the island of Maui in August 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was one of the first agencies on the site to assist the people in recovering from the devasting effects of the deadliest United States wildfire in more than 100 years.
  • On the visit to Kula the group of local officials from Lahaina saw contractors applying final erosion control at a property in the process of being completed.

    Lahaina wildfire debris cleanup soon moving into Phase 2

    The Consolidated Debris Removal Program in Lahaina, Maui for the cleanup from the Hawaii Wildfires will soon move in to Phase 2 of the mission which will involve the removal of fire-related debris such as ash, hazardous trees, and concrete foundations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been conducting Phase 2 debris removal in Kula since Nov. 7 and as of Dec. 23 has removed debris from 22 residential properties. To prepare Lahaina for Phase 2 operations, USACE invited prominent local officials to visit work sites in Kula to see work in progress and sites that are complete and in turn share this information with the Lahaina community.