This historic Hawaiian town burned to the ground. Now there’s hope for an authentic restoration

Lahaina Fires – One Year Later

One year after fires tore through Lahaina, Maui, killing 102 people and wiping out the town that was once the center of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the last of the debris is still being sorted through. Many Lahaina residents remain homeless, and all the houses and businesses destroyed in the fire have yet to be rebuilt. Some developers have used the tragedy as a business opportunity, approaching residents to buy their land, stoking fears the community will be overrun by predatory investors. But as the town begins to heal and looks to the future, there is also hope among residents that something good might come from all the tragedy – a re-landscaped, more fire-resistant Lahaina that is safer for residents and a restored downtown that honors its Native Hawaiian past and commemorates one of the most sacred sites in Hawaiian history. When the first Polynesians arrived on Lahaina’s shores they found a lush landscape filled with abundant fresh water. In 1802, King Kamehameha made Lahaina the capital of Hawaii, building a brick palace in the center of a 17-acre wetland and surrounding it with carefully tended agricultural fields and taro patches. When the first Europeans arrived, they marveled at mountain slopes shaded by breadfruit trees and the freshwater streams running through town, giving it the nickname “the Venice of the Pacific.” Lahaina would see many incarnations – from sleepy fishing village to royal capital. In the 1800’s it was the center of the Pacific whaling trade, and after that it became a plantation town. In modern times, Lahaina became a town known for tourism, specifically for its beloved Front Street with waterside restaurants, stores and a famous banyan tree.