An aerial view of a wildfire in Kihei, Maui County, Hawaii, U.S., August 8, 2023 on this screen grab obtained from a social media video.
Clint Hansen Of Maui Real Estate | Via Reuters
President Joe Biden on Thursday vowed immediate assistance for Maui residents who’ve lost family members and their homes in devastating wildfires which have taken at the very least 36 lives.
Biden declared a serious disaster in Hawaii two days after wildfires rapidly swept across parts of Maui, devastating the historic city of Lahaina, the previous capital when the islands were an independent kingdom.
“We’ve got just approved a serious disaster declaration for Hawaii which is able to get aid into the hands of the people desperately, desperately needing help now,” the president said during remarks in Utah.
“Anyone who’s lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, goes to get help immediately,” Biden said.
The president said he spoke with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green Thursday morning and vowed to supply any federal assistance the state must get better from the fires.
Biden said he directed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to streamline requests to get federal aid to survivors directly. Criswell will travel to Maui on Friday, the president said.
The disaster declaration that Biden issued Thursday will provide money to assist with temporary housing, home repairs and uninsured property losses.
This graphic shows the situation of fires on the island of Maui, Hawaii, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Several thousand Hawaii residents raced to flee homes on Maui because the Lahaina fire swept across the island, killing multiple people and burning parts of a centuries-old town.
AP
The president has ordered the military to the island to assist fight the blaze and evacuate people out of harms way. The Navy’s Third Fleet, the Army and the U.S. Coast are being deployed to help local emergency response crews, Biden said. The Marines are providing Black Hawk helicopters to assist fight the fires.
“We’re working as quickly as possible,” the president said. “We’ll fight these fires and evacuate residents and tourists. Within the meantime, our prayers [are] with the people of Hawaii. But not only our prayers, every asset we’ve might be available to them.”
There have been still six energetic fires burning on Maui and the island of Hawaii as of Thursday morning, a state emergency management official told NBC News. Greater than 2,000 acres have been scorched by the blaze.
A U.S. Coast Guard boat and helicopter crew rescued 14 individuals who fled into the ocean to flee the fires and smoke, said Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, during a briefing Thursday.
The National Guard has activated 134 personnel to help with the wildfire response, Ryder said. The Army, Navy and National Guard have deployed two Black Hawk helicopters, three Chinooks, and two Seahawks to assist fight the fires and help with search and recovery operations.
The U.S. Department of Transportation can be working with industrial airlines to assist evacuate tourists from Maui. United Airlines on Thursday cancelled passenger flights into Kahului Airport on Maui so the planes could fly empty into the island to assist evacuate passengers back to the mainland U.S.
