PHOTOS: Mayor Richard Bissen joined Maui’s state, county and community leaders at After the Fire USA’s 2024 Wildfire Leadership Summit last week in Sonoma, Calif. Together, they shared updates on Maui’s wildfire recovery efforts and gathered valuable insights from other jurisdictions affected by similar disasters.
“Our intention is not only rebuilding homes and businesses — our priority has always been to return the heart and soul of our community: our people,” Mayor Bissen said during opening remarks.
The annual summit is organized by After the Fire USA, a nonprofit created by wildfire survivors and experts. This year’s summit and related meetings from Sept. 10 to 13, 2024, drew more than 185 leaders from across the country to address the complex issues of preventing, responding to and recovering from megafires.