Biden says federal government will help Maui ‘for as long as it takes’ to recover from wildfire

LAHAINA, Hawai‘i — President Joe Biden on Monday told survivors of Hawai‘i’s wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Maui “for as long as it takes” to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. Standing near a severely burned 150-year-old banyan tree, the president acknowledged the “overwhelming” devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy.

“Today it’s burned, but it’s still standing,” Biden said of the tree. “The tree survived for a reason. I believe it’s a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.”

Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, charred cars and singed trees left in the wake of the blaze.

The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife Jaime Green, as well as members of Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation who came to the airport to greet them. The president and first lady embraced each of their greeters before boarding Marine One for an aerial tour of the damage.

They spent most of their visit in Lahaina, a historic town of 13,000 people that was virtually destroyed by the flames. His motorcade wound through the community of block upon block of hollowed out homes and structures, palm trees burnt to a crisp and endless debris.

The Bidens also met with first responders and were briefed by state and local officials about the ongoing response. They also took part in a blessing by island elders of his visit.

The Bidens interrupted a weeklong vacation in the Lake Tahoe area for the five-hour flight to Lahaina.

The White House announced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional leader at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, ensuring that someone from his administration will be responsible for long-term recovery efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, where just about every building was obliterated.

“We’re going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to rebuild,” said Biden, adding that his administration would be focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions.

Dozens gathered on the streets of Lahaina to watch Biden’s motorcade wind its way through the streets. Some greeted the president enthusiastically, but others appeared to be waving their middle fingers at the motorcade. Other island residents held up signs urging Biden “to listen to the people of Lahaina” and to send more aid to the island.

During a community event at the Lahaina civic center, Biden praised the “remarkable resilience” among community members he had witnessed during his few hours on the ground.

“When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith,” Biden said.

Biden has faced criticism from Republicans, including 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, for saying too little during the first days after the catastrophe. The White House, however, has pushed back against the criticism, saying the president kept in close touch with the governor and other emergency officials throughout the unfolding crisis.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawai‘i, said that as of Sunday about 85 percent of the affected area had been searched and nearly 2,000 people remained without power and 10,000 were without telecom connectivity. Water in parts of west Maui is not safe to drink.

While immediate aid, such as water, food and blankets has been readily distributed to residents, Schatz said cellphones, IDs and other documents that people would need to help them enroll in longer-term aid programs were burned in the fires, adding more challenges to the application process.

During his tour, Biden walked down a road from which many Lahaina residents made their harrowing escape from the flames.

An army of search and rescue teams with dozens of dogs have blanketed the affected area to try to recover the remains of some 500 to 800 people who are unaccounted for, said White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. Mayor Richard Bissen earlier Monday put the number of unaccounted for at 850. Sherwood-Randall added that the FBI has dispatched specialists to Maui to help assist the identification efforts.

More than 1,000 federal officials remain on the ground to respond to the wildfires in Hawai‘i, according to the White House. The administration has distributed more than $8.5 million in aid to some 8,000 affected families, including $3.6 million in rental assistance, said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.