August 2026 – Three years after the devastating August 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, recovery is still underway. While homes are being rebuilt and progress is visible across the island, many families continue to face the long road toward stability.
For Bhejay Yadao, returning home can be summed up in three words:
“Relieved. Peaceful. Blessed.”
Those words represent more than the moment he walked through his front door. They reflect years of resilience, sacrifice, and the unwavering support of a community determined to help one another heal. When the wildfires tore through Lāhainā, Bhejay was 25 years old. His household of seven, spanning four generations, fled in three vehicles as flames closed in behind them. They navigated smoke-filled roads, fallen power lines, and standstill traffic, uncertain of where they would go or what would remain. They escaped safely, but their home was gone.
For decades, the Yadao ʻohana had worked toward the dream of homeownership. Like many immigrant families, they sacrificed, saved, and supported one another to build a better future. Bhejay’s parents spent their careers in Hawaiʻi’s hospitality industry, and together, four generations pooled their resources to build their first home in Lāhainā. In a single day, that dream disappeared.
The Long Road to Recovery
The months after the fires were filled with uncertainty. The family relied on friends, coworkers, hotels, and temporary housing while searching daily for food, supplies, and recovery resources. They navigated insurance claims, FEMA assistance, and countless recovery programs, only to discover they were severely underinsured. They continued paying a mortgage on a home that no longer existed while also covering rent for temporary housing, making it difficult to imagine how rebuilding would ever be possible. Like many wildfire survivors, they even considered leaving Hawaiʻi, but Lāhainā wasn’t just where they lived. It was home.
Community Support Helped Make Home Possible Again
Maui United Way stepped in with rental assistance, helping relieve one of the family’s greatest financial burdens. That support gave them the stability they needed to focus on rebuilding instead of simply surviving. Their recovery was also made possible through the collective efforts of nonprofit organizations, volunteers, donors, community partners, and neighbors who came together to help families recover after the Maui wildfires. The Yadao ʻohana never gave up on their dream of returning home.
In March 2026, the Yadao family became one of the first families to move back into a rebuilt home in Lāhainā. For Bhejay, coming home represented far more than rebuilding a house. It meant preserving the dream his family had worked so hard to achieve and remaining rooted in the community they love. Their story reflects the importance of keeping Lāhainā lands in Lāhainā hands, ensuring local families have the opportunity to rebuild their futures where generations of memories were made.
As we commemorate the third anniversary of the Maui wildfires, we remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the resilience that continues to define our community. Recovery is not measured only by homes rebuilt. It is measured by families returning home, children growing up in the communities they know, and neighbors continuing to support one another through every stage of healing. Many Maui families are still rebuilding and continue to need housing assistance, recovery services, and access to critical resources.
Your support helps families move from crisis to stability, and ultimately, back home. Together, we can ensure no one faces recovery alone. Mahalo to everyone who has stood with Maui over the past three years. Your generosity continues to bring hope, healing, and the promise of home to families across our community.
