Sonoma County leaders offer recovery support to Maui

County of Sonoma leaders are offering assistance and condolences to victims of the Maui wildfires as well as providing insights on wildfire recovery, given Sonoma County’s experiences in the aftermath of major wildfires in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

The county Department of Emergency Management reached out last week to Maui Emergency Management and the state of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to offer immediate support and guidance on recovery operations.

“Our hearts go out to the Maui community, specifically the Lahaina area, as we are too familiar with what they are going through,” said Jeff DuVall, director of the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management. 

Permit Sonoma officials contacted the Maui County planning department to offer its support, along with advice on short- and long-term actions to spur recovery utilizing local ordinances and assistance centers.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors, sent an email to the mayor of Maui County, Richard Bissen, to offer assistance and advice. The wind-driven fires, which erupted Aug. 8, have claimed the lives of at least 99 people and destroyed more than 2,700 structures.

“I told him that when the time is right, we are here to share experiences from our fires and our recovery, and lessons learned about unexpected challenges and complications that Maui will face in the coming weeks, months and years,” Coursey said. “I’ve done the same with elected officials in other areas that experienced fire disasters, including Paradise and Boulder, Colorado. I know some of my colleagues have, as well. Just as officials who had gone through their own disasters called us in 2017. It’s a way to keep paying it forward.”

Sonoma County has overhauled how it approached emergency management, alerts, evacuations and rebuilding following the 2017 wildfires, which killed 24 people and destroyed 5,300 homes in Sonoma County.

Supervisor James Gore, vice president of the National Association of Counties, also has posted a video message outlining ways to help those impacted by the wildfires in Maui.

To support communities impacted by the Maui wildfires, donations can be made to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, United Way and Direct Relief, according to the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency.

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Media Contact: 

Gina Stocker, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040