Biden heads to Maui, where 850 people are still missing after catastrophic Hawaii wildfires

President Joe Biden volition sojourn Maui connected Monday, arsenic authorities contention to find and retrieve astir 850 radical who are inactive missing aft catastrophic wildfires swept the land and burned for weeks.

The blaze, which was implicit 80% contained Sunday, had already claimed much than 110 lives and caused billions of dollars successful spot damage. The wildfires are the worst catastrophe successful Hawaii authorities past and the deadliest wildfires successful the United States successful implicit a century.

Upon arrival, the president and the archetypal woman volition survey the devastation successful Lahaina aboard a helicopter. Later, they volition circuit wildfire harm successful the municipality firsthand, and person a briefing from officials.

While successful Hawaii, Biden volition besides denote the assignment of FEMA determination head Bob Fenton to oversee the semipermanent national effort to enactment Maui's recovery.

Fenton oversees the FEMA portion that includes Hawaii and precocious led the national effect to the monkey pox outbreak successful 2022. Fenton has been connected the crushed successful Hawaii since the wildfires started, according to the White House.

"I volition bash everything successful my powerfulness to assistance Maui retrieve and rebuild from this tragedy," Biden said successful a connection Sunday up of the trip. "Throughout our efforts, we are focused connected respecting ineffable lands, cultures, and traditions."

Biden has been successful regular interaction with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, and received regular updates from Federal Emergency Management Administrator Deanne Criswell.

"I cognize however profoundly nonaccomplishment tin interaction a household and a assemblage and I cognize thing tin regenerate the nonaccomplishment of life," the president said. Biden's archetypal woman and babe girl were killed successful a car clang successful 1972. His eldest lad Beau died of encephalon crab successful 2015.

Search dogs person combed astir 85% of the catastrophe tract successful Lahaina truthful far, according to region officials.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Maui Police person located much than 1,200 survivors, said Maui politician Richard Bissen successful a video posted Sunday.

Biden declared a major disaster successful Hawaii connected Aug. 10, hours aft Hawaii's politician requested the declaration, unlocking national assistance for Maui.

More than 1,000 national unit are presently connected the crushed successful Maui, including much than 450 hunt and rescue squad members, according to FEMA. The White House has approved $8.2 cardinal successful assistance to over 2,700 households truthful far, including $3.4 million in archetypal rental assistance.

The blaze started abruptly and dispersed swiftly astir Aug. 8, fanned by winds from Hurricane Dora and fueled by drought conditions connected Maui. The origin of the fires is nether investigation, but respective lawsuits person already been filed against the powerfulness institution Hawaiian Electric, alleging that downed powerfulness lines sparked the blaze.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has besides launched a review of the disaster effect by authorities and section officials. The Maui Emergency Management Agency did not activate sirens during the wildfires, leaving residents with small informing that the fires were spreading rapidly.

Maui's exigency absorption administrator, Herman Andaya, resigned abruptly past week aft defending his determination not to activate the sirens.

Green, the governor, stressed that the reappraisal of the section exigency effect is not a transgression investigation.