LAHAINA >> There are as many memories of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires as there are people who experienced the horrors of that day. Some survivors of the deadliest U.
S. wildfire in more than a century are ready to share their stories freely, while others still struggle to speak. All remembered and marked the first anniversary of one of Hawaii’s worst natural disasters in their own way Thursday.
Official commemorations were part of Kuhinia Maui, nine events named from a Maui chant referring to the island’s beauty and richness. Some 4,000 people went to a paddle-out at Hanaka‘o‘o Beach Park, the first of the Kuhinia Maui events that will run through Sunday. More than 300 people registered online for the Kuhinia Maui afternoon luncheon at the Hannibal Tavares (Pukalani) Community Center to recognize Upcountry Maui’s resilience.
More than 1,500 were expected to end the day with a visit to Kuhinia Maui’s “Lahaina 1-Year Memorial,” a solemn gathering to honor loved ones who perished in the tragedy. The county-supported events, which were driven by the communities of Lahaina and Kula, are aimed at offering hope to those grappling with the harsh realities of a fire that killed at least 102 people, burned nearly 3,000 acres and destroyed or left uninhabitable some 3,900 structures that were mostly homes housing multiple families. They also are about bringing a fragmented population close again.
In the aftermath of the Maui fires, some residents have had to move, at .