The Legislature will need to make the Maui fires a top priority next session, which begins in January. The disaster made distressingly clear the need to address some of the state’s most serious vulnerabilities — among them land management, housing shortages, emergency preparedness and environmental threats from climate change. But where to begin? Lawmakers can start with six draft reports from state House working groups, a solid and serious effort to address topics related to the fires and provide recommendations to the Legislature.

The recommendations from the six working groups cover a lot of ground, and lawmakers will have to whittle down the laundry list to produce solid legislation. But here are just a few highlights that deserve consideration:

>> Environmental remediation: The Maui fires destroyed homes and businesses, leaving behind a toxic brew of contaminants from appliances, construction materials, burned-out vehicles and other man-made objects. Recommendations include:

• More funding for long-term air and water monitoring;

• More research on environmental effects of urban fires;

• Restoration of wetland areas in Lahaina, to improve coastal resilience and restore habitat for native species.

>> Food, water and supplies: Immediately after the fires, individuals and ad hoc groups launched a massive effort to deliver food and other essentials to victims — in contrast with the relative sluggishness of the government response. This working group proposed:

• Improving the state’s distribution management plan with effective community input and response protocols;

• Regular funding for the Hawaii Foodbank to expand its food supply and storage capacity for emergencies;

• Cross-training state employees to help victims receive emergency government help.

>> Jobs and business: The economic impact of the fires can be measured by the numbers: 834 businesses closed, affecting 7,000 employees, $262 million in commercial or industrial structures and $65 million in tourist accommodations lost. The projected unemployment rate exceeds 11% for Maui in the fourth quarter. Recommendations include:

• Scaling up training in the construction trades, which will be in high demand during rebuilding;

• Persuading lenders to show aloha in mortgage relief and forbearance agreements;

• Encouraging “responsible, respectful and compassionate” tourism.

>> Schools: The fires affected Lahaina students deeply, as schools were damaged or destroyed and they lost weeks of classroom time. Among the recommendations:

• Developing better school evacuation plans and expanding emergency drills for campus threats;

• Speeding up Department of Education ability to accommodate distance learning and learning alternatives;

• Expanding mental health care for students;

• Building more resilient school buildings.

>> Shelter: The most intractable problem rising from the Maui fires has been finding stable, semi-permanent places for the survivors. Recommendations:

• Leveraging state financing options for housing;

• Easing the state’s regulatory and zoning barriers and permitting fees for additional dwelling units, multifamily housing and prefab housing;

• Incentivizing conversion of short-term rentals to long-term housing.

>> Wildfire prevention: Even before Lahaina and Kula, wildfires in Hawaii were perceived as a growing threat. Now it borders on an ongoing crisis. The annual area burned by wildfires statewide has increased 300% between 1904 and 2022. Recommendations include:

• Reducing ignitions, including more limits on fireworks;

• New requirements and incentives to reduce the amount of burnable plant material on open land.

• Discouraging land banking by raising taxes on land not being used for public purposes or managed by a conservation plan.

The draft reports were released on Nov. 1. After a public comment period, final reports will be released Dec. 15. Public meetings by these working groups continue today, Friday and Nov. 21, and can be viewed online.

Visit https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/house.aspx for more information.