Hawaii eagerly awaits fire aid after Biden’s declaration
- At least 55 people have been killed in the fires
- Officials warn that figure is likely rise as rescue operations continue
- It’s the state’s deadliest natural disaster since 1960
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP)
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(NewsNation) — Following U.S. President Joe Biden’s major disaster declaration for Maui, much-needed help is on the way to fire-ravaged Hawaii.
The declaration will allow affected individuals to apply for grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and allow business owners to apply for programs to recover from the disaster, according to the White House.
According to the Pentagon, Naval and Marine Corps assets are also lending help to the island.
Coast Guard teams on Thursday rescued 14 people who fled into the ocean to escape smoke and the fire, USNI News reports.
According to Yahoo News, Hawaii’s National Guard said that two of its Chinook helicopters did 58 bucket drops on Thursday.
At least 55 people have been killed in the fires, a grim figure which also makes it the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 people on the Big Island, prompted the development of the territory-wide emergency system that includes the sirens, which are sounded monthly to test their readiness.
The blaze is the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned that the death toll would likely rise as search and rescue operations continue.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
