Hawaii Officials Issue Six Point Aid Plan for Helping Maui Wildfire Victims

Officials in Maui have issued fresh guidance to those wishing to help recovery efforts following devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island, urging good Samaritans to prioritize food and sanitary supplies as well as monetary donations.

So far, 96 people have lost their lives and more than a thousand remain unaccounted for as emergency responders comb burned homes for human remains.

The large bush fires—which broke out last week and spread rapidly on hurricane winds from a passing storm—caused power outages, a loss of communication systems and extensive destruction to the historic resort town of Lahaina.

In the latest update, county officials said that the fire around Lahaina—which spanned an estimated 2,170 acres—was 85 percent under control, with multiple fire crews monitoring it. Another blaze is now entirely contained, while a third was 60 percent contained due to hot spots in hard-to-reach areas.

Volunteers have been bringing aid to the island for displaced survivors, including on paddle boats, after the local authority warned of limited supplies in the early stages of the disaster last week. On Friday, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who owns a home on Maui, was spotted visiting a shelter with pillows and toiletries.

With recovery operations underway, state representatives have outlined what was needed and what was no longer in demand.

Donate Items in Demand

Maui county officials have asked for the donation of non-perishable food, bottled water and hygiene products. Charging devices, wheelchairs and tents were also in demand.

Many residents are still living in temporary shelters, while others still living in areas affected by the fires have been urged to not drink mains water over concerns that it may be unsafe due to contamination caused by the blazes.

County officials said on Monday that testing of the island's water supply for volatile organic compounds—which are released during combustion and can be harmful to humans—had begun. Meanwhile, tourists have been urged to stay away from Maui to free up vital resources.

Don't Donate Clothing

Recovery organizations have been flooded with donated clothing in the past few days, leaving them with a surplus of items they are still sorting through, Laksmi Abraham, a Maui County spokesperson, said on Monday.

"At this time, clothes are not a high priority need," Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said in a statement later the same day.

However, on Saturday, the County of Maui said residents of the western portion of the island had requested slippers and underwear, as well as coolers, flashlights and generators.

It is unclear if these items are still needed, though. Newsweek approached the County of Maui via email for further comment on Tuesday.

Only Ship Items to Maui if There Is Someone To Receive Them

State representatives had urged those wishing to donate not to send items directly to Maui unless they knew there would be someone there able to collect them.

Instead, they suggested sending items to Oahu, the island on which the Hawaiian capital Honolulu sits, where volunteer organizations were able to receive donations and forward them on to the appropriate place on Maui.

"We are asking that people not ship to Maui County unless you have somebody on this side who will receive it," Luke told a press conference, held in a newly-established aid distribution center, on Monday. "This effort is to relieve some of the burden from Maui County."

Sort and Categorize Items

During the press conference, Luke asked that donations to organizations on Oahu be pre-sorted by donors and inventoried according to the types of items they are, to expedite the process of getting them to where they are needed most.

"From Oahu, if you have not sorted the items, please sort the items," she stressed, adding of the charitable organizations: "If you don't have the ability to sort [the items], they will help you sort, inventory, and we have individuals here on the island to receive those items."

Don't Drop Off Items at Shelters

"On Maui, we have [a] tremendous number of individuals who want to help, who want to donate, who want to donate their time, who want to be able to help in this healing process," Luke told reporters on Monday.

However, she urged those on the island wanting to pitch in with the recovery effort not to take donations directly to shelters.

"[A] tremendous amount of items are being taken to the shelters, and that interferes with some of the services that we want to deliver," Luke explained.

Abraham added that a donation station would be opened in the parking lot of a Sears in Kahului on Tuesday.

Cash Donations Still Welcome

State and local officials are still welcoming emergency relief funds, and urged those wishing to donate to do so through several official funds that have been set up in response to the wildfires.

However, they cautioned those seeking to donate to be careful of scams.

"I know that the people of Hawaii will come to the aid of our families, neighbors and communities," Hawaii's Attorney General Anne Lopez said on Wednesday. "In moments of crisis, we all must be extra vigilant against bad actors who try to take advantage of people's goodwill."