Hawaii Fire Relief

The wildfires in Lahaina – the deadliest disaster in Hawai’ian history – have resulted in the loss of over 2,000 structures and claimed the lives of 100 individuals. With thousands seeking refuge in shelters across Maui and Honolulu, Direct Relief is actively addressing the pressing medical needs of these evacuees and aiding search and rescue operations.

The organization’s initial deliveries of emergency medical essentials have been deployed in shelters in Maui, and Direct Relief staff are delivering additional shipments of insulin, chronic disease management medications, and other medicines to Maui.

Wildfire response kits, developed in consultation with medical and emergency-response experts, are part of the shipments and aim to prevent emergency room visits during significant wildfire events. They contain vital medications, including inhalers, nebulizer solutions, irrigation solutions, antibiotics, analgesics, wound care products, and chronic disease medications.

Beyond the immediate risks of burns, wildfires can exacerbate pre-existing health issues. Airborne particulates can worsen respiratory or cardiovascular problems, even sending those affected to the emergency room, and people with chronic conditions can face acute medical crises if they evacuate without their medications.

At the request of Maui Search and Rescue, Direct Relief is also dispatching emergency medical backpacks to bolster on-the-ground relief efforts.

Based on years of disaster response experience, the packs are tailored for paramedics and health professionals to use in the field and are the standard for the State of California’s Medical Reserve Corps.

Direct Relief has also made available its medical inventory, valued at over $300 million wholesale, to healthcare providers across Hawai’i.

The organization has also begun disbursing emergency operating grants to community groups providing immediate medical care and also aiding in search and recovery efforts. The following groups have received $50,000 each to support their work:

• Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai’i
• Malama I Ke Ola Health Center (Community Clinic of Maui)
• Maui Search and Rescue
• Hui No Ke Ola Pono (Native Hawai’ian Health Center)

Direct Relief’s approach to disasters relies on long-standing collaborations with vetted local groups serving vulnerable communities. Their expertise, community trust, and existing protocols provide a foundation for the organization’s activities.

Over the past decade, Direct Relief has provided local Hawai’ian organizations with 15.6 tons of medical resources totaling 415,305 defined daily doses of medicine, as well as $2.14 million in grant funding.

With a history of responding to wildfires across the United States, Direct Relief also is leveraging its expertise and technological resources for this crisis.

The organization’s data-driven tools, such as wildfire mapping applications and the CrisisReady initiative in partnership with Harvard, offer insights into wildfire risks and social vulnerability. Such tools inform emergency response officials and assist Direct Relief in its targeted efforts.