Biden, first lady to survey Maui damage as soon as they can, announces prez

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, killing dozens of people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina.

The wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than a century. The cause was under investigation. Even where the fires have retreated, authorities have warned that toxic byproducts may remain, including in drinking water, after the flames spewed poisonous fumes.

Biden says he and first lady will visit Hawaii soon

President Joe Biden says he and first lady Jill Biden will visit Hawaii as soon as we can to survey the Maui wildfire damage.

 

He said he doesn't want his presence to interrupt recovery and cleanup efforts.

My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can, Biden said Tuesday in Milwaukee at a White House event held to highlight his economic agenda.

I don't want to get in the way, the president said, adding that recovery work being carried about by emergency responders and search and rescue teams is painstaking work that takes time.

Biden said he has assured Gov. Josh Green that Hawaii will have everything it needs from the federal government.

He offered his thoughts and prayers to the people of Hawaii and pledged that every asset they need will be there for them.

Biden has surveyed the ruins of numerous natural disasters, including hurricanes and tornadoes. One place he has yet to visit, despite saying months ago that he intended to go, is East Palestine, Ohio, where toxic chemicals were released after a train derailment in February.

A visit soon is unlikely, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell suggested Monday.

What to know

What spurred the fires? Right now, it's unclear; authorities say the cause is under investigation

What is the status of the fires? The county says the fire in centuries-old Lahaina has been 85% contained, while another blaze known as the Upcountry fire has been 65% contained

How does the loss of life confirmed so far compare with other U.S. fires? For now, it is the country's deadliest fire in more than 100 years, with officials saying nearly 100 people are dead, but the governor says scores of more bodies could be found

How are search efforts going? The police chief said Monday that crews using cadaver dogs have scoured about 25% of the search area, with just three bodies identified so far

Why did the fire cause so much destruction so quickly? The governor says the flames on Maui were fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane, and raced as fast as a mile (1.6 kilometers) every minute in one area

Did emergency notification services work? Officials failed to activate sirens and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts; meanwhile, residents faced power and cellular outages

Governor: Children among those lost to fires

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Tuesday that children are among the victims of the fires.

When the bodies are smaller, we know it's a child, Green said during an appearance on Hawaii News Now. "There was a car, we know, for example, that had four people in it. It was obviously a family of four and two children in the back seat.

Green said the task of recovering bodies is one of the toughest parts of the effort and one of the reasons officials are asking for patience from people wanting to enter the ground zero area of the fires.

Green said those in need of housing assistance should sign up with the Red Cross.

He said the state has a contract with the agency set to run for more than six months. He said there were more than 450 hotel rooms up and running and more than 1,000 Airbnbs online with the goal of getting everyone out of shelters by the end of the week.

With the threat of stormy weather this weekend, the governor said there is a open question about whether or not to preemptively power down for a short period of time to protect infrastructure weakened by the fires.