A Floridian’s guide to giving after tragic Maui wildfires
Despite being nearly 5,000 miles away, Floridians are determined to help as they witness the Maui wildfires unfold, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate the area in search of shelter, food, water, and other resources.
The Pulehu/Kihei fire has been declared 100% contained with no active threats at this time. The wildfires on the Hawaiian island are now the deadliest in U.S. history in more than a century, surpassing California’s 2018 Camp Fire, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
As of Friday, the death toll had risen to 111 as crews continue to search for missing victims as more than 1,000 people remained unaccounted for, local officials said. With only 25% of the burn area searched, officials said they believe the death toll will climb in the coming days.
On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state had deployed specialized K-9s from Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue team to Maui. He spoke to the Gov. Josh Green and offered resources for the “coming days and weeks.”
“Florida stands with the people of Hawaii,” he wrote.
Are you wanting to help those affected by the Maui wildfires but don’t know where to start? Here’s what to know:
Where can I donate to Maui?
The most effective way to help victims is through cash donations, as that’s the quickest way to get assistance to those in need. It immediately grants onthe-ground charities the flexibility to purchase the supplies they need.
The following organizations have been encouraged by both Maui, Hawaii, and U.S. officials:
The Maui Strong Fund
American Red Cross of Hawaii Salvation Army - Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division
Maui Mutual Aid Fund
Aloha United Way
Maui Humane Society
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
Maui Food Bank
Maui County (donations accepted online)
World Central Kitchen
hhhhhhhhhhHow do I make sure Maui residents will receive my donation?
Any charity that solicits a donation for disaster relief in Hawaii must be registered with the Department of the Attorney General, which provides a lookup tool on its website. Charity Navigator also has a search function that can help those verify whether a charity is legitimate.
The Associated Press also reported that the crowdfunding site GoFundMe vetted hundreds of fundraisers for individuals and families who lost property or were injured in the fires, verifying the identities of the organizers and pledging to take additional verification steps before releasing the funds to the organizer and collecting its transaction fees.
As of Monday afternoon, GoFundMe said it had collected more than $22 million for those impacted by the Maui wildfires, from more than 175,000 people across all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries.
In a press release, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez warned donors to stay away from people rushing those to make a donation, asking them to donate with cash, gift card, or on Cash App or Venmo. She also said to look for specifics about how your donation will be used.
How do I donate supplies to Maui from Florida?
Organizations have asked those to not ship donation items to Maui unless they have someone on the other end to receive it. If you still want to donate your items, Hawaii News Now said they can donate them to community partners on Oahu, such as Hawaii Community Foundation and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.
If you do ship any items to the island, officials ask you to sort all donated items and indicate what they are. If you cannot sort your items, donate them to community partners on Oahu.
Monetary donations are still very appreciated and preferred.
What supplies are critically needed right now?
These items include: non-perishable food items, specifically protein and vegetable items water handwashing stations
hhhwater totes to transport water outdoor sinks portable charging stations wheelchairs tents
Experts ask for no more clothing donations, as there is a surplus of donated clothing items and the organizations are still working their way through these items.
hhhhhWhat donations are more encouraged in the following months?
Experts encourage waiting a few weeks before sending more donations to allow the government and nonprofits to figure out what rebuilding priorities have been funded and which haven’t.
Since donations tend to drop off after the initial burst of media attention ends, these later donations will go toward resources that are still critically needed in the weeks following the disaster.
AP gives examples of donating home furnishings, which are very useful once families have been permanently relocated. However, as people are living in shelters currently, they are not useful, and storing them creates costs and issues for nonprofits, especially on an island where storage space is limited.
I want to help in person. Is it recommended I go to Maui to help?
Traveling to Maui is strongly discouraged, even if you are looking to help.
The Hawaii Tourism Agency is discouraging nonessential travel to Maui for the foreseeable future. Tourists who are already there have been encouraged to depart immediately if they can. Thousands of residents have evacuated their homes and major roadways on the island remain closed.
Many national and international organizations have also already deployed to Maui to help, so they highly recommend monetary donations as a way to help residents.
How did the Maui fires start?
The fires broke out on Aug. 8, when much of Hawaii was already under a red flag warning for fire risk when the wildfires broke out.
As of Tuesday, the exact cause of the blaze is still unknown.
“We don’t know what actually ignited the fires, but we were made aware in advance by the National Weather Service that we were in a red flag situation — so that’s dry conditions for a long time, so the fuel, the trees, and everything, was dry,” Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, commander general of the Hawaii Army National Guard, said at a briefing Wednesday.
He also noted that the dry conditions, low humidity, and high winds set the conditions for the wildfires.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green echoed the same sentiments in an interview with CNN, acknowledging the impact of Hurricane Dora in the Pacific Ocean. It was a powerful storm that was moving hundreds of miles south of the Hawaiian islands.
“It is a product, in my estimation, of certainly global warming combined with drought, combined with a super storm, where we had a hurricane offshore several hundred miles, still generating large winds,” Green told CNN reporters Friday.
What was the aftermath of the Maui fires?
During a press conference on Sunday, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said there is “very little left” of Lahaina, where more than 2,700 structures have been destroyed in what is now the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
The number of confirmed dead following devastating wildfires on Maui rose Monday to 99, but searchers and cadaver dogs have covered only around a quarter of the town of Lahaina, officials said.
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier Saturday said it was premature to assign even an approximate dollar amount to the damage done on Maui, the governor estimated “the losses approach $6 billion.”
Where can I get updates on Maui and what is needed?
Those wanting to keep up with official updates from Maui officials can turn to sources such as the Maui County government, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and the Hawaii government.
Residents can also tune into both local and national media covering the ongoing tragedy, especially those coming out of Hawaii. Outlets, like Hawaiian News Now and Maui News, are based on the island and have been on the ground covering the fires.