President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel Monday to Maui to meet with first responders, survivors and government officials after horrifying wildfires ripped through the Hawaiian island, the White House said Wednesday.
The first couple will “see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery effort,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The president continues to marshal a whole-of-government response to the deadly Maui fires, and he has committed to delivering everything that the people of Hawaii need from the federal government as they recover from this disaster,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
Wind-fueled fires swiftly ripped through the town of Lahaina and other parts of Maui last week with little warning. Residents had little time to escape, and some fled into the Pacific Ocean.
At least 106 people were killed, though crews are searching through the rubble. Officials say only a fraction of the dead have been positively identified, given the nature of the destruction.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday she will join Mr. Biden on his trip.
She said the degree of loss was “palpable” while she visited Maui in the days following the fires.
Ms. Criswell said trained dogs are working in glass-filled rubble as part of search and rescue efforts, but they require frequent breaks and rotations.
“I want to be honest with everyone. This is also going to be a very long and hard recovery,” she said at a White House briefing. “But our federal, state and local partners are working around the clock to help all of those who have been impacted by this disaster.”
Ms. Criswell said the government is setting up a “disaster recovery center” to provide a concrete place to seek help. The FEMA administrator was responding to complaints from some locals who said they did not see government personnel on the ground.
“We want everybody in Hawaii to know that they should apply for federal assistance,” she said.
Mr. Biden is under pressure to help the island recover. He faced criticism for spending time on a Delaware beach and saying little about the crisis over the weekend, though the White House insists Mr. Biden has been on top of the crisis since the start and pointed to praise from Democratic leaders in Hawaii.
The president on Tuesday lamented the destruction caused by the wildfires, which are the deadliest since 1918, when 453 people died from wildfires that spread to Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
“The deadliest wildfire in more than a hundred years,” Mr. Biden said. “A whole city destroyed. Generations of Native Hawaiian history turned to ruin.”
Ms. Criswell said the federal government and Hawaiian officials will try to learn how the wildfires spread so quickly and if there are ways to prevent similar events in the future.
Presidents often tour destruction from wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters as part of their efforts to coordinate government responses and support residents.
Sometimes leaders don’t go right away because a VIP visit can be a distraction from rescue efforts.
Ms. Criswell said the president contacted Hawaii Gov. Josh Green to ensure that Monday would be an appropriate time to visit.
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this story.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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