The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites residents to attend a free presentation on reducing wildfire risk to homes, neighborhoods and communities across Maui Nui at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Morgado Hall in Kahului.

Featuring fire risk experts, the event will cover practical, solutions-oriented strategies for reducing wildfire risk facing homes and neighborhoods while supporting long-term community resilience and recovery.

Mayor Richard Bissen emphasized the importance of community engagement and proactive risk reduction.

“Wildfire resilience is a shared kuleana,” Mayor Bissen said. “As we rebuild and look toward the future, it is critical that residents, businesses and government work collaboratively to reduce risk to ensure our communities are safer and more resilient for generations to come.”

The presentation, “Reducing Wildfire Risk to Communities and Homes on Maui: Mitigating the Built Environment,” will be led by experts from Headwaters Economics, an independent nonprofit research group specializing in wildfire risk, land-use planning and community resilience. Speakers have expertise in fire behavior science, how wildfire threatens homes and buildings, land-use planning and wildfire policy.

Highlights will include Maui County’s wildfire risk profile; lessons learned from catastrophic wildfires; strategies for reducing risk in existing neighborhoods; and new development and policy, along with community-based solutions, that can support safer rebuilding and insurance stability.

The event is designed for a general audience and will help participants better understand the following:

• Why wildfire risk to homes and neighborhoods is increasing across Maui County
• How development patterns, building practices and landscaping influence vulnerability
• How homes ignite during wildfires and what can be done to prevent it
• Practical, cost-effective steps homeowners and neighborhoods can take to reduce risk
• How risk-reduction strategies align with Lahaina recovery priorities and long-term community resilience goals

For more information on Headwaters Economics, visit https://headwaterseconomics.org/. For general information on County of Maui Office of Recovery, visit www.mauicounty.gov.