Biden’s Upcoming Trip to Maui Highlights Concerns with 850 Individuals Missing

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the devastated island of Maui, Hawaii on Monday to assess the situation and provide support in the aftermath of catastrophic wildfires. These wildfires have left almost 850 people missing, claimed over 110 lives, and caused extensive property damage exceeding billions of dollars. These wildfires are not only the worst disaster in Hawaii’s history but also the deadliest wildfires witnessed in the United States in over a century.

Upon arrival, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will conduct an aerial survey of the devastation in Lahaina via helicopter. They will then personally tour the wildfire-damaged areas of the town and receive a briefing from officials.

During his visit to Hawaii, President Biden will officially appoint Bob Fenton, a FEMA regional administrator, as the overseer of the long-term federal efforts to support Maui in its recovery. Fenton previously led the federal response to the monkeypox outbreak in 2022 and has been actively involved in the ongoing response to the wildfires. President Biden expressed his commitment to helping Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy while prioritizing the respect for the sacred lands, cultures, and traditions of the island.

President Biden has been in regular communication with Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a member of the Democratic Party, and has been receiving frequent updates from Federal Emergency Management Administrator Deanne Criswell. Having experienced profound personal loss himself, with the deaths of his first wife and infant daughter in a car crash in 1972 and his eldest son Beau’s death from brain cancer in 2015, President Biden empathizes with the deep impact of loss on families and communities.

Efforts to locate survivors among the devastation in Lahaina have been ongoing, with search dogs covering approximately 85% of the affected area so far. The FBI and Maui Police Department have successfully located over 1,200 survivors. President Biden swiftly declared a major disaster in Hawaii, unlocking federal assistance for Maui, shortly after the state’s governor requested the declaration.

Currently, there are over 1,000 federal personnel in Maui, including more than 450 search and rescue team members. The federal government has already approved $8.2 million in assistance, providing support to over 2,700 households, including $3.4 million for initial rental assistance.

The wildfires on Maui started suddenly and rapidly spread on August 8, fueled by drought conditions and winds from Hurricane Dora. The cause of the fires is currently under investigation, with multiple lawsuits already filed against Hawaiian Electric, alleging that downed power lines sparked the blazes. In response to the disaster, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has initiated a review of the state and local officials’ disaster response. Concerns have been raised about the lack of activation of sirens by the Maui Emergency Management Agency, leaving residents with minimal warning about the rapid spread of the fires.

Herman Andaya, Maui’s emergency management administrator, resigned abruptly last week after defending his decision not to activate the sirens. Governor Green emphasized that the review of the local emergency response is not a criminal investigation.