WASHINGTON — United States President Joe Biden, declared a state of natural disaster on Thursday for Hawaii, where the voracious fires Foresters have destroyed the island of Maui and caused the death of at least 36 people, which will allow the release of important federal aid for the archipelago.
“The president’s action makes federal funds available to those affected in Maui County,” the White House explained in a statement. This aid will finance emergency relief and reconstruction tasks on the island, where the resort town of Lahaina, the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was virtually destroyed.
Wildfires on Maui’s west coast, fueled by strong winds from a southbound hurricane, broke out Tuesday and quickly engulfed the coastal town of Lahaina, forcing some residents to flee into the ocean.
Biden’s office reported that he had spoken Thursday by phone with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
The president “expressed his deep condolences for the lives lost and the extensive destruction of land and property,” the White House said.
FOUNTAIN: With information from AP
