(NewsNation) — It has been five months since deadly wildfires ravaged Hawaii’s Maui County, destroying over 2,000 buildings and filling the air with toxins that contaminated Lahaina’s environment. Nearly 100 people were killed and over 6,000 residents lost their homes.
This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teamed up with FEMA to begin the complicated cleanup process. Officials estimate this process will take at least a year and a half to complete.
The new phase, the debris cleanup, began Tuesday. It is no small task, but parts of the lone access highway have been shut down to the public to streamline the process as much as possible.
The effort is keenly orchestrated — down to the technique of getting the debris into trucks, most of it wrapped in tarps and kept damp while transporting it to a temporary landfill. This excludes much of the hazardous, combustible material collected at the end of last year.
Another challenge is the sensitivity of the land. There are historical sites and unmarked burial plots that crews have to work around.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are tasked with inspecting each building after clearance.
“After the debris is removed, we’ll remove 6 inches of soil around the foundation, and then we will pull the foundation,” said Cory Koger, a senior chemist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “You need to meet the residential standard criteria that is set by the Department of Health and that’s what we are doing.”
At least 6,000 Lahaina residents remain displaced. Many have moved off the island while others are in temporary housing or hotel rooms.
One mother told NewsNation how painful it has been for her family. But at the same time, she shared her excitement to get life back to normal.
“I lost my home. I just was numb because I had no idea what was gonna happen. I was like, is this a dream? Like, is this really happening?” Lahaina resident Shannon II said.
II said she was “super excited” to begin the cleanup process because it means she is one day closer to being able to go home.
“I know it’s going to be a long process. It’s a long haul, it’s not going to happen like that. We already know that,” II said.
In an exclusive statement to NewsNation, White House spokesperson Jeremy M. Edwards said, “With the conclusion of search and recovery missions supported by FEMA, as well as the final removal of hazardous materials from the burn area by EPA, we can now focus on careful, community-led debris removal as we look towards long term recovery.”
“We continue to work closely with the people of Lahaina, Maui and Hawaii to ensure this community has everything they need to build back with resilience in the wake of this tragedy,” Edwards added. “As President Biden has said from the beginning, we will be there as long as it takes to support the people of Maui as they heal, rebuild, and recover over the long-term.”