In the heart of Lahaina along historic Front Street, King Kamehameha III Elementary School — Kam III to locals — once featured idyllic ocean views, fluttering butterflies and swaying trees. But the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history left the seaside school in ruins, the new school year halted before it ever began.
Three other Lahaina schools — Lahainaluna High School, Lahaina Intermediate School and Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School — are closed until air and water quality tests determine they are safe, amid fears of toxic plumes due to the fire. A heavy-duty cleanup of all three will be required even if testing eventually eases those worries.
