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Last updated 23 Oct 2026

USA: Hawaii 2023 wildfires

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Burnt house and cars in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, 2023
Zane Vergara/Shutterstock

Introduction

The 2023 Hawaii wildfires were a series of wildfires that broke out in early August 2023 in the U.S. state of Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui.

The wind-driven fires prompted evacuations and caused widespread damage, killing at least 102 people and leaving two people missing in the town of Lahaina on Maui's northwest coast. The proliferation of the wildfires was attributed to dry, gusty conditions created by a strong high-pressure area north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.

Explore the content below, which touches upon the impacts of the fires.

Country and region
United States of America

Knowledge base

After the fire: Three years on — what the Maui wildfire reveals about emergency management policy for island communities thumbnail
Documents and publications
After the fire: Three years on — what the Maui wildfire reveals about emergency management policy for island communities

This commentary examines emergency management failures exposed by the Lahaina wildfire and recommends assessing vulnerable communities, establishing 30-day emergency supply reserves and integrating the fire into Hawaiʻi’s emergency management plans.

Island Security Policy Institute
Maui wildfire emergency management reform: Three years after Lahaina — An independent assessment of framework reform progress and remaining gaps thumbnail
Documents and publications
Maui wildfire emergency management reform: Three years after Lahaina — An independent assessment of framework reform progress and remaining gaps

This research report assesses emergency management reform after the Lahaina wildfire, identifying four framework failures and recommending island-specific reviews, compliance standards and response-time assessments.

Island Security Policy Institute
Research briefs
US: Long after the Maui fires toxic metals linger in residents’ bodies

The toxic exposures didn’t begin with the flames. Researchers are examining how fires impacted a community already harmed by plantation agriculture, development, and colonialism.

Grist Magazine
Climate-amplified wildland–urban interface disasters create persistent internal metal mixtures associated with pulmonary impairment thumbnail
Documents and publications
Climate-amplified wildland–urban interface disasters create persistent internal metal mixtures associated with pulmonary impairment

This study suggests that wildland-urban interface (WUI) disasters create a distinct post-disaster exposure regime characterised by persistent internal metal mixtures associated with pulmonary impairment months after the event.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
Research briefs
Mental health crisis after 2023 Maui wildfires extend beyond burn zone

The 2023 Maui wildfires were linked to significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety among residents, with impacts extending beyond the burn zones and closely tied to housing and income disruption.

University of Hawai'i
Update
USA: Youth mental health struggles deepen after Maui wildfires

The Hawaii Department of Education estimates more than a third of Maui students lost a family member, sustained a serious injury or had a parent lose a job after the fires.

ABC News
Research briefs
USA: 2023 Hawaiʻi wildfires raise local death rate by 67%

Researchers investigating the fatalities associated with severe wildfires in August 2023 in Lāhainā, Maui, Hawaiʻi, found that 82 more local people died that month than would have been expected — a 67% increase over the usual death rate.

Frontiers in Climate
Research briefs
USA: Study links 2023 Maui wildfire to spike in suicide, overdose

Deaths by suicide and drug overdose significantly increased in the aftermath of the August 2023 Maui wildfire, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

University of Hawai'i
Update
USA: Maui immigrant wildfire survivors continue to face gaps

An UHERO analysis reveals significant mental health, housing and financial challenges among Maui’s immigrant communities in the aftermath of the 2023 wildfires—while also spotlighting community driven solutions.

University of Hawai'i
Update
USA: After Lahaina fire, Hawaiians address risk by being ‘Firewise’

Kahikinui is one of dozens of Hawaii communities seeking ways to protect themselves as decades of climate change, urban development, and detrimental land use policies culminate to cause more destructive fires.

Associated Press