Biden Tours Wildfire Damage on Maui

By Takayuki Fuchigami / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

16:44 JST, August 22, 2023

LAHAINA, Hawaii — U.S. President Joe Biden toured Lahaina in western Maui on Monday, pledging that the U.S. government would provide long-term support for reconstruction from the area’s devastating wildfires.

“To the people of Hawaii, we’re with you as long as it takes, I promise you,” Biden said during a speech in memory of the victims.

After arriving in the center of Maui via Air Force One with first lady Jill Biden, Biden surveyed the wildfire damage from a helicopter. In Lahaina, he was briefed by local officials on the search for survivors and provided encouragement for people affected by the disaster.

Biden also announced in his speech the appointment of a senior official of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the response coordinator for the wildfires, to ensure close coordination between the U.S. government and local authorities in recovery efforts.