HONOLULU (KHON2) — The County of Maui is preparing to let residents and business owners back into the restricted disaster area.
The process is expected to start the week of September 25.
The county said it will notify residents by zone, and after they show proof of residency, will then go over procedures with professionals before entering the burn zone.
Interim MEMA administrator, Darryl Oliveira said that those re-entering will be given passes and owners and residents will be escorted due to some dangers that may still be present. All those that enter the area will need to use personal protection equipment, which will be provided.
The owners and residents will need to be identified by property parcels and notified that the area in which they lived or owned property will be available for re-entry.
Re-entry will be done by zones, according to where the EPA has cleared, which according to Oliveira is 464 properties as of Thursday’s news conference. Oliveira estimated that properties in the area exceed 2,000.
Oliveira said the first zone or zones will be announced as early as Monday, September 18, and those residents will be able to pick up their passes by Friday, September 22, with re-entry allowed Monday, September 25.
This will help to start the insurance assessment as well. Insurance adjusters will be allowed to accompany property owners.
Escorts will help to determine property lines since the damage from the fire has made that determination difficult.
Mental health professionals will also be with residents on site to assist as it might be hard to process for many residents.
“It is overwhelming to see the devastation, so part of our process is supporting family members and people going out there to make this easy on them and prepare them for what to experience,” Oliveira said.
Residents will have an escort with them for the first two visits, after that, residents will be allowed to enter the area without an escort between 8 AM and 4 PM, seven days a week.
Oliveira said there will be staff assisting residents the first few days to safely go over walking over debris, and removing debris from their property or slowly sifting through debris to find personal items.
Officials strongly advise kupuna or people with respiratory issues stay away from the area due to harmful toxins.
The disaster area has been closed due to toxic materials and the need to clear debris since the fire ripped through Lahaina on Aug. 8.
Two business areas re-opened on Wednesday, September 13.
Lahaina Cannery Mall and businesses near Kupuohi and Ulupono streets were given the green light for access and some re-opened.
Lahaina Cannery Mall was not damaged by the fire and stores like Safeway and Long’s did re-open to the public. But water is an issue, so the stores provided portable toilets and hygiene stations that people can use, and other businesses at the Cannery can use too.
But, the fire did destroy several businesses located near Kupuohi and Ulupono Streets, and others were spared.
Tamura’s was not damaged in the fire, but businesses surrounding it were.
The new apartment complex, Kaiāulu o Kupuohi, is located on Kupuohi Street but has its own zone for re-entry. The building was completely destroyed in the fire, but businesses across the street did survive.
Some businesses said they will remain closed for months while they access the damage and get water.
Oliveira said many multiple-story structures may not be safe for re-entry just yet as many of those structures are unstable.
More information can be found on the Maui Recovers website, including information translated into multiple languages.
