# The scientists fighting to help Maui wildfire survivors heal

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-scientists-fighting-to-help-maui-wildfire-survivors-heal/
- Published: 2026-11-14T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T14:19:21+00:00
- Original publisher: Grist (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://grist.org/wildfires/the-scientists-fighting-to-help-maui-wildfire-survivors-heal/
- Topics: Research, Science

## Key points

- MauiWES tracks wildfire survivors’ health and connects them with support.
- The study has served 2,500 participants since the 2023 fires.
- Researchers faced uncertainty over funding for its long-term work.

## Summary

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi created the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study to track survivors’ health after the 2023 fires and help them access care. Its combination of research and practical support has helped address urgent needs, and researchers hope it can guide public health responses to future disasters.

The fires killed at least 102 people, displaced nearly 13,000 and destroyed more than 2,200 buildings; three years later, only 15 per cent had been rebuilt. MauiWES has enrolled 2,500 participants, offering health checks alongside therapy, food and cash assistance, and help finding doctors and insurance. Its longer-term funding was uncertain as the researchers held what might have been their last large study event.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.