Environmental Monitoring and Data Portal in Support of Lahaina Wildfire Response

In August 2023, the communities of Lahaina and Kula, on the west coast of Maui, Hawaii, experienced devastating wildfires that killed over 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes and structures. The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) needed to evaluate various environmental media (ash, beach sand, coastal waters, sediment, and others) to assess the immediate and long-term impacts of the wildfire on public health and the environment. HDOH needed immediate high-quality data collection and analysis to support science-based decision-making and a method for relaying information to the public in a transparent manner. 

ERG quickly deployed qualified staff to collect sediment, sand, and water quality samples (among others) to evaluate how fire-related pollutants moved through the environment. Our team conducted in-depth data analysis and interpreted the results in understandable language to answer critical questions such as: “When is it safe for me to return to my community and begin rebuilding?”; “How can I best protect myself in fire-impacted areas?”; and “Is it safe to be at the beach and in coastal waters?” ERG worked with HDOH to develop, launch, and update the Environmental Monitoring: Maui Wildfire Data Portal to share data and findings from the monitoring efforts, share advisories and resources, and provide guidance on how the public can protect themselves from potential pollutants. ERG also developed a comprehensive environmental monitoring plan to provide a framework for collaborative monitoring after disasters and a template of the Maui Wildfire Data Portal that can be utilized in response to future events.