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Kevin Fujii/Honolulu Civil Beat

Maui Hero Project's Joseph Anderson, DayJahiah Valdivia, Ocean Viera and Ivan Macias follow Kahkahi Ocean Academy's Zane Kekoa Schweitzer's breathing exercise to re-center themselves after the beach physical training and lifeguard skills training in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Anderson and Valdivia were affected by the August 2023, fires on Maui. (Kevin Fujii/Honolulu Civil Beat via AP)

LAHAINA, Hawaii – Mia Palacio felt like she lost a piece of herself when wildfires destroyed her hometown of Lahaina.

She isolated from loved ones after the 2023 disaster while struggling to process the grief, often angry that her family didn't have a permanent place to stay and that so many others were unable to evacuate.

Moving between high sch

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