LAHAINA FIRE Recovery Update - March 2024 DRONE Tour - Have we made ANY Progress ??? 

Citizen journalism at its FINEST. Thank you. I TRUST what you're showing which is more than I can say for any MSM coverage. MAHALO for all you do.

Grew up there and I can only watch 5 minutes at a time. So heartbroken. Thank you for your tactful presentation. 😢

I wonder if I’ll ever be able to watch these videos without ending up in tears… beautiful Lahaina 💔

Mahalo for keeping us updated who live on mainland. Our prayers to all.❤

Thank you for sharing this video, the MSM is completely ignoring this. Love from Florida to Maui, stay Maui strong!

We send hundreds of billions to strangers that we don’t know but don’t bother to take care of our own citizens. A broken system

thank you for the update .HOLD ON TO YOUR LAND.KEEP THE FAITH.GOD IS WITH YOU.❤

It amazes me that some houses were not burnt yet houses around them were totally gone!

I’ve been to Lahaina many times over the years, and it pains me to see it destroyed. Even if they build it back, it’ll never be the same. So sad.

Mahalo for putting these videos together! You do a really good job of keeping everyone up to date of the progress of the clean up.

Your quality and coverage of the progress is unmatched! Please keep doing what you’re doing! ❤

Thank you for this update! Makes my heart hurt for all those who lost everything in this horrible fire😥❤️

Thank You for being a part of Maui…. Have been coming to Maui for 23 years…I am Heart Broken!!God Bless to all …🙏🙏🙏

My wife and I were in Lahaina just a year ago, it was not our first trip. We loved Lahaina from the first time we stepped foot there and we made friends along the way. Our hearts ache for what happened to your beloved town. Thank you so much for the updates. We pray for you every day. We cannot wait till your town is restored and we can visit you once again. God Bless, thank you for keeping us updated. Steve and Nancy

Hello I am new to your channel and my husband and I just got back to Southern California from Maui on May 28th, 2024. It is not our first time visiting Maui. Our 6th time or so. These updates are very heart breaking but spreading awarness is important as you have stated. When I went I made sure I purchased from all local vendors and I brought back hand made lotions, essential oils, jewelry pieces, gifts for coworkers, t shirts from small businesses and spent at the local Sunday flea market. I got homemade banana bread from Mama by thr Blow Hole too. We got nuts and salsas from the farmers market. We tried out best to spend where its needed. ❤ I appreciate your videos so so much Jess. We will be back again.

1:51 your update. We are from Australia and have visited Maui many times. It is our favourite place in the world and we feel our home away from home has been destroyed. I'm so glad to see the progress in the clean up. But this still breaks my heart to see. Sending you all love and strength from far away. Can't wait to be back there soon.

Took well over 2 years for our neighborhood to see building. Paperwork, lot clearing, building plans all take time to complete. Perseverance, patience and a vision to hold on to, you'll get there. Don't let anyone tell you no.

Praying for the people of Lahania.

wow, you can really get an idea of the number of displaced people/families from the air. very sad. hopefully clean up moves faster as time goes on.

Thank You for this. I am a Tubbs fire survivor. I have been home for as long as I was gone as of tomorrow. My heart has been broken and I feel so much for the Lahaina fire people. I feel like we are the members of a club that no one wants to join, but so many of us are suffering these devastating losses. My thoughts are with everyone in Maui and the losses in Texas right now. Fire destroys everything! Nothing is spared, I'll never be the same...I still cry every day as I cry for all Fire People...

Thank you so much! You gave a greater picture of just how large this fire was. I pray 🙏🏻 the work goes fast, I pray for all of you, affected by this tragedy 🙏🏻✝️

I hadn't checked in on your channel for a bit. My reaction is wow!!! This video is more professional than the news channels and their multimillion dollar helicopters and professional pilots. Thank you for this important video, the work you do and how you do it.

I appreciate your fly over video and explanation. I was on what was supposed to my last day of vacation there and stuck in the parking lot of the Safeway when the fire started. Thankful every day that my friend and I got out and back to Ka'anapali before it got dire. It took 2 more days before we could safely get to the airport. Such a tragedy in every way. I hugged and cried with locals that I met. Without cell service, no one knew if there family and friends were alive or if they were, their location. Maui has had my heart since my first visit in 1986 and my heart is broken for everyone there who lost their homes, businesses and more importantly their loved ones.

Thanks for the high quality drone footage. Before our most recent visit there, we felt obligated to show our support for the survivors through a donation to the Maui Food Bank. Hopefully others will do the same. Mahalo!

As a real estate agent do you have any feeling about how many residents will actually be rebuilding? So many neighborhoods destroyed and along with that neighbors being separated. Makes me so sad for everyone. Thank you for posting this video.

Thank you so much for going into such great detail! Y'all still need lots of prayers and lots of THANKS to the workers on the ground!

Thanks to you and to all who are doing this recovery work. Could not help but worry whether the cleared lots that are adjacent to non-cleared lots would be at risk of re-contamination from neighboring ash. Continued prayers for the well-being of all affected.

Thank you so much for these videos. My husband and I have visited Maui for over 30 years and have had so many wonderful experiences with friends and family. We are praying for our Aloha family that God will give them strength and patience to weather this difficult times. Again thank you

I remember seeing your video where you showed us your vacation rental which would be used as a FEMA home for a displaced family. As you said, you were doing it because it was the right thing to do, and I agree wholeheartedly. Have enough vacation rental owners come forward to provide enough housing for all of the displaced families? People need to have a place to live so they can begin their own recoveries.

Aloha, Jesse. I’m encouraged that they are moving the dump site away from the mother reef area. I know how concerned the locals have been with that location. It’s also good to see the cleanup progress. We don’t hear much these days on the news here on the mainland (east coast). My husband and I hope to visit Maui again in 2025 and hope to see a good portion of local folks back in homes and progress in downtown Lahaina by then. Mahalo for all you work keeping us informed. 🤙🏻 🙏🏻

My son’s family lost their home on Kahoma St. I can identify his lot by the trees and a remaining burned out vehicle at around the 9:17 mark on your video. He also lost 2 of his Front St. restaurants. Fortunately, the 3rd escaped the flames and reopened in February. I believe it was the first on Front St. to reopen - a small but hopeful sign. I live in Georgia so appreciate your coverage.

thank you so much for doing this, we pray every day for Lahaina's recovery and those who have lost their homes and lives. When I see the leaves on the banyon tree, I know Lahaina will rise again.

How bittersweet to see it so green. The wet winter has made the mountain side so beautiful, but I can only wish we had the lush green and not dry landscape on that day.

Thank you for the update. Great video. Its good to see the progress, but my heart is just broken, and I fight the tears as I watch this. I have been a frequent traveler of Maui for a very long time. I just cant even imagine what the people of Lahaina have been through and continue to endure. God bless the people of Lahaina and Maui!

Progress, but a long way to go. Thanks for the update.

With so many visits to Hawaii and to Lahaina, Maui in particular, we feel like we personally have lost much. We can't even imagine what your fellow residents are struggling with and thank you for your continuing updates. Jim

Thank you for this. We once chose Lahaina as our vacation destination. It was wonderful trip, my daughter and I. I have no words but hope for the best for this community.

I was only in Lahaina once~ last April. We loved the area and have been heartbroken by your loss. I’ve been trying to find where the Holy innocents’ property is, and also a beautiful house that was a temple . Thank you for sharing these updates

One more big Mahalo for your videos, Jesse . It’s been a tremendous positive public service. Thank you.

My house exploded and burned in North Georgia in January, 2022. My heart goes out to everybody in Lahaina. It has taken two years for my house to get rebuilt, and it will be a few more months before it is ready. For those of you in Lahaina, there are so many obstacles that you have overcome, and just know that the rebuilding process is a very, very long process that requires so many things to go just right. You are loved. You are heard, and you will succeed. God Bless.

Left there 2 weeks ago. Thank you for the video/updates. Unbelievable in person! Ultimate respect for all the Hawaiians, their aina. and prayers for healing. Went to Mala, cannery, etc. They are truly Lahaina strong! ❤

Thank you so much for you updates, great filming !!!!! Doesn't look like they have done any clean up !!! T. Cali

My community lost 2600 homes from the Almeda Fire in 2020. People were able to immediately access their properties and cleanup happened quickly. I am shocked your community is not making good progress in cleanup. Also, thanks for the drone footage. I analyze it to see why certain properties in the middle of the burn were saved. I teach a class on fire behavior and weather and use your drone footage. I hope someone is analyzing why some houses survived in the middle of the burn or adjacent to the fire.

Could you show some video of the dump site and how that is being handled. Greatly appreciate your coverage of this progress of recovery.

Thanks for your hard work in doing these videos. We love Maui and were heartbroken when the fire broke out 3 weeks before we were arriving. And thanks for showing the surviving Catholic Church. It is a real favorite of ours and we would always attend. They have an exceptional choir that sings in their own language. Thanks again.

So where is Oprah and the Rock? Where is Biden? Where's your governor? Mayor? police chief?

One thing that strikes me watching the videos, is how skilled the equipment operators are. You can see where they went right up to even a small patch of greenery on these properties and left them undamaged to help regenerate the area. Could you help us understand who they have allowed to move back into the homes that were undamaged (from outward appearance) within areas where homes were lost.

Special love for Maui. Have been there approx 35x since mid 70’s when I lived In Alaska. Celebrated my 21st birthday at the Banyon tree, skinny-dipped at 7 sacred Pools, and met Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina at Plantation Inn before they cut their first album. Love to all the locals and wish our Government would put a priority on rebuilding versus spending Billions outside of US. Love to you all

Thanks for this. It's wonderful to hear about businesses reopening and we have a huge appreciation for all the hard work. My heart ached seeing the white crosses.

MAHALO so much for this comprehensive look. I used to live at the north end of Front Street at where the Makai Inn was… it used to be apartments before it became Makai Inn. This breaks my heart but I’m glad to see that there is clean up happening. I wish Biden would send some of the Billions that he’s sending overseas to Maui to help our own citizens and communities. I would love to come out and spend some time volunteering or helping in some way. My heart is with all of you! Aloha 💞

I know you did a video not long ago about the traffic in west Maui. Has it improved at all? Our hearts go out to everyone in Maui. Thank you for your updates.

Crazy to see a place i have pictures of on my vacation completely gone and that no one will see it they way it was ever again so sad.

Thank you so much for your updates. My son worked on one of the fishing boats before the fires and misses the job he loved.

Thank you so much for this. I will be praying for the people of Maui. 🇺🇲⚖️🇺🇸

Thank you for all the hard work you put into making these videos and keeping us informed on the recovery process. As many others have stated, we are heartbroken by the devastation that occurred in the Lahaina area. This area is like a second home to us as we have had the privilege to vacation in this area each year. Our thoughts, prayers, and financial support go out to all that were so greatly affected by this disaster. Thank you again and keep up the good work!!

I have sent checks to the Red Cross marked for Lahaina and Hawaii Wildfires. I imagine folks there still have many needs. Thanks so much for the comprehensive videos.

So terrible. I'm very happy we were able to visit 6 months before this disaster. The mayor and police need held accountable for this as well.

Lahaina will be back. Thank you for showing us

Thank you. Where are all these displaced people living? I can not believe how many have lost everything. We where there 18 yrs ago. Such a beautiful place.

Thank you so much for this update. My husband and I are in Australia and have stayed in Maui, Lahaina twice. Both times we stayed at the Aina Nalu. We watched as the devastation took hold as much as the tv would show. I even had a tattoo done at The Blue Hawaii Tattoo Studio. We loved Cheese Burgers in Paradise, I have bought jewellery from Maui Divers in Lahaina and walked Front St many times.Not to mention the beautiful locals and the heartbreak they are suffering. Keep up these updates please. Stay Strong Lahaina.....xoxoxo

Generally speaking,would you say the people of Maui are open to the idea of tourism retuning to Maui. I have purposely stayed away out of respect to the residents of Maui. I have noticed some ads on TV promoting Maui but curios how the residents really feel. Obviously no plans of being in the Lahaina area unless you are looking for volunteers. Thank you for keeping us all updated with the progress.

Thank You so much for the fly over update.. Lahaina is my home and will ALWAYS be my home... Now all I need is a house... THANK YOU!!! I used to live in the Wahikuli neighborhood and this brings me back to when we 1st move into our house back in the 1970's.. It was all RED DIRT and no grass... MAHALO PLENTY!

We are here from New Jersey for the 8th time. Supporting your beautiful community with some good old spending! MAUI STRONG!

Thank you again for this update video. There's progress but, oh, so sad to see the beautiful area devastation. My kudos to your drone flying.

Thank you for the updates ... so much more needs to be done for everyone

Thank you for providing these videos. I visited Lahaina and then the summit of the volcano and am saddened by the magnitude of this tragedy. I have ( and still do) donate to some Go Fund families as well as the Maui Food bank. I pray for patience and perseverance for the survivors as well as the cleanup workers. BeWell&StayWell.

Thank you again for doing this. We just left the resort area and while it’s heartbreaking to see all the damage, it’s encouraging to see some progress being made. Keep watching out for those cell towers and power lines!

My greatest gratitude and admiration to you for presenting these aerial views of Lahaina. I cannot wait to until everything has been clear and all of the beautiful city restored to its amazing beauty. Mahalo

Thank you so much for your update! You're an excellent reporter. God bless you, and God bless Maui.

The ocean is my first choice for the ground clean up🙏

JESSE!!! Thank you so much for this. I have been wondering how the progress has been and you answered my questions perfectly. I'm fortunate enough to be coming for a visit to Maui at the end of this month. I have very good friends who live in Hale Ono Loa, just 4 miles north of Lahaina, and they invited me for a week. Thanx again for this excellent work.

Thanks for the new video, Jesse. You give the best and informative perspective and visuals of the cleanup effort. Take care.

May God bless the people of Lahaina, the city of Lahaina, and the Banyan Tree that it may be a symbol of hope and peace.

Wow! They are making progress! I wish they would have made multi family units a priority. That way you could get more families back home.

Aloha Jesse. Thank you so much. The whole world is sending positive energy to Lahaina and its environs.

Thanks for the tour. I have visited Lahaina 20+ times and am familiar with the area. You asked about the temporary waste site. I am a professional geologist with nearly 40 years of experience in monitoring the groundwater beneath landfills. I have worked both nationally and internationally in a wide variety of geologic settings, including areas of volcanic origin like the area of the temporary waste site. From a purely scientific standpoint, the temporary site is well-suited to be a permanent location. Even of the redundant landfill liners fail, and the leachate collection ceases to function, the types of chemicals in the waste do not migrate away from a waste body through the soil and rocks to any significant distance... as in feet, not yards or miles. The types of chemicals in fire debris are ionically bonded to the microscopic soil and rock particles and are trapped forever (and forever from a geologist is a very long time). I have taken tens of thousands of groundwater samples proximal to landfills and, with admittedly few a exceptions, have not found heavy metals, SVOCS, dioxins, furans or other typical fire-debris contaminants in the groundwater. The risk to the adjacent coral reef from trucking the waste is much greater than the risk posed by the landfill. Understand that this is a scientific outlook, and I certainly appreciate the cultural aspects, but trucking the material twice just does not make scientific sense to me.

Thank you so much for providing these videos. It's hard to watch them without crying remembering walking down the very streets that are now gone. We have been visiting Maui for over 40 years and Lahaina is like our second home. It's good to see the progress being made, but still so sad.

Great to see progress being made and hearing that Old Lahaina Luau is reopening, early March. Also heard, Mala Tavern, on Front St., has reopened. Those are welcome news WINS, less than a year, after the tragedy. Mahalo 😘🌺

I was just wondering how things were going there,thank you for such a thorough video.

Really appreciate these drone videos. I usually rent a place every whale season. I'd love to get a view of 114 Hamau Pl, Lahaina. Keep up the great work!

I've been to Lahaina twice and it was magical. The atmosphere was something you wish could be bottled up and take home. My heart broke for the town and especially the people who not only lost their homes and their livelihood. I look forward to the day when we are able to return. Thank you for keeping use updated. Mahalo

Thank you so much for this video update. I had not seen your previous videos, so will go search them out. We first visited Maui in April 2023 and fell in love with the area. We had planned to go back to Lahaina in March 2024, but have not put that on hold for the time being. We continue to pray for Maui and Lahaina and that the rebuilding process will continue

Thanks for the update, Jesse. We pray for better days ahead for the people of Lahaina.

Thanks!

Keep up the progress videos on Lahaina. Do Not give into these people that trying to stop you. People need to know what is going on the media sure doesn't. We are not to forget..

Was in Lahaina about a day before the fires started. The people there were so nice and it is so unfortunate what happened

I had no idea the burn zone was so massive. Maui Mark

Thank you for this update and we send our prayers and support to Maui.

You know what I just find fascinating is how the large condominium building with all of the cell phone towers on the roof, survived so well.

The Chicago great fire debris was placed next to lake Michigan and covered with dirt. It was the beginning of Grant park with Buckingham memorial fountain.

Thanks Jesse for these updates. My family visited Maui and Lahaina back last May and were saddened by the loss. Again thanks for the reviews of progress as they’ve easy to geographically understand and of course compare with prior updates

Grateful for your work Jesse.

Great coverage and video! It’s very good to see the progress. However, my prayers are that those who call Lahaina home will find the ways and means to stay and rebuild their lives! 🙏🏼

Great drone tour, still can't believe it happened.

Thanks so much!

Thank you so much for keeping us informed & for the fantastic drone footages. Your efforts are so appreciated.

Thank you for your videos. I lived there the summer of 1993 and fell in love with Lahaina! Been back numerous times. The last time my family stayed at a house at Baby Beach called Opal Seas. It was right on beach. It was white with a blue roof. It was next to Puunoa estates. Could you fly over it? I know it was destroyed. We are so heartbroken over the loss of lives and my favorite place! ❤ thank you 🙂

Thank you taking the time to make this video, it's quite interesting. I'm from the UK and was lucky to spend a vacation here 10 years ago, it's such a shame about the fire and all the loss.

Again thank you for starting at end of Puamana. 🙏🏻❤️

Thank you so much for showing us 🙏 I can see clearly my land 💔puapihi st 😢