In August 2023, a series of wildfires burned parts of the island of Maui in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The fires began on August 8 and struck hardest the historic resort town of Lahaina, on Maui’s western peninsula, reducing most of the town to ash and ruins. Approximately 115 people were killed in Lahaina by the smoke and flames or by drowning, making the wildfire one of the world’s deadliest on record. Almost 3,000 structures were reported to have been either damaged or destroyed by the fire. Maui’s other wildfires, which included the Pulehu/Kihei fire in Maui’s central valley and the Upcountry/Kula fire along the slopes of the island’s eastern peninsula, were less severe, resulting in far fewer damaged homes and other structures and no reports of serious injuries or deaths. The death toll from the wildfires in Maui stood at 89 as of August 12, 2023. The cause of the fire was attributed to non-native grasses that had turned into wildfire fuel. The losses were estimated to approach $6 billion. Relief and recovery efforts were initiated by the government officials to fund firefighting efforts, rescues, and recovery.