Honolulu Civil Beat

The Maui Wildfires

In 2023, wildfires destroyed much of Lahaina in Maui County, Hawai’i, and Honolulu Civil Beat has relentlessly covered every aspect of the aftermath. Civil Beat has produced, and continues to report, on resulting environmental threats, government wildfire preparedness (or the lack thereof), housing challenges and more. It’s an effort a judge described as the “definition of rising to community need — from asking hard questions that the community deserves to have answered to providing explainers and resources for the community to use and to generate support.”

Read the Winning Work

Maui’s Top Emergency Officials Were Off Island As Wildfires Hit Lahaina

HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled

​​Was Maui’s Emergency Operations Chief In Over His Head?

Hawaii Has Long Shortchanged Wildfire Protection: ‘We Could Have Saved Lives’

As Flames Rushed Toward Lahaina, These Friends Tried To Help 2 Seniors Escape

A Cascade Of Breakdowns In Lahaina Fire Exposes Flaws In Emergency Management System

Amid The Rubble, Respect Property Rights And Listen To All The Voices Of Lahaina

Harrowing Eyewitness Accounts Cast Doubt On Official Lahaina Fire Narrative

‘The Lives We Lost’ Tells A Different Story About The People Who Died In Lahaina

John Hill: Hawaii Agencies Flout The Law By Ignoring Maui Fire Records Requests

Civil Beat: Our Maui Fire Coverage Is Just Beginning

Their Home Destroyed, Their Business Incinerated. Now, They Just Need To Keep Going