Maui County is lifting access restrictions to much of a largely commercial area of Lahaina destroyed by wildfire more than a year ago.

Starting today, the Maui Emergency Management Agency will shrink the footprint of a “commercial bubble” zone in Lahaina protected by security checkpoints.

The change reflects some of the slow but continued progress with recovery work that previously has been largely concentrated in residential areas of the West Maui town where roughly 3,500 households lost their homes to the fire on Aug. 8, 2023.

MEMA said the smaller new security zone in the predominantly business area of Lahaina addresses needs for commercial debris removal operations and other reconstruction efforts that include shoring up historic structures, infrastructure improvements and managing unsafe conditions.

Prior to the change, the protected commercial zone was about a mile-long swath of Lahaina town between Shaw and Kenui streets makai of Honoapiilani Highway. This area included much of historic Front Street filled with tourist shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums.

The reduced restricted zone boundary runs from Shaw to Papalua streets largely makai of Luakini Street and includes Lahaina Harbor, the former King Kamehameha III Elementary School site and a plaza with a more than 150-year-old banyan tree that was partially damaged by the wildfire that destroyed more than 2,500 structures and killed 102 people.

“MEMA reminds the public that this area will continue to be a construction zone as our community rebuilds and urges property owners to remain vigilant,” the agency said in a statement.

As part of implementing the security change for the commercial zone, MEMA is reducing the number of security checkpoints there to four from nine, while three barricades at intersections with Honoapiilani Highway will remain.

“MEMA will maintain a security presence in the remainder of the commercial bubble as necessary to ensure the safety of all involved as the rebuilding process continues,” the agency’s statement said.

The agency also said it aims to further reduce the number of checkpoints as conditions permit, and that it appreciates the community’s continued cooperation as changes are implemented.

More than 800 businesses and other structures including schools, churches and government buildings were destroyed by the fire, and many of these properties are concentrated in the “commercial bubble” area with MEMA access restrictions.

According to a recently completed county long-term Lahaina recovery plan, some reconstruction projects are not expected to be done for several years or longer.

For instance, restoring Lahaina Harbor is projected to take three to five years. This work involves dredging, replacing piers and removing and replacing mooring anchor blocks along with steel and concrete piles.

An initial priority for recovery was in residential neighborhoods, and all house lots had been cleared of debris by August. As of last week the county reported that 535 residential building permit applications had been received and that 192 permits had been issued. The first new home was finished in November, and two more since then have been completed.

For commercial properties, rebuilding is expected to take longer. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported earlier this month that all but eight commercial properties in Lahaina had been cleared of debris and that debris removal work for those remaining properties are projected to be done by early 2025. Maui County reported last week that eight building permit applications have been received and two permits have been issued.