Biden approves a major disaster statement, increasing the number of wildfire victims in Hawaii to 36. News | Time | Biden
As of the evening of the 9th, wildfires raging on Maui Island in Hawaii, USA have caused at least 36 deaths.
According to official statements from Maui County, Hawaii, as well as news from American media such as the Los Angeles Times, a wildfire broke out on Maui Island, the second largest island in the Hawaiian Islands, on the 8th. Under the influence of strong winds brought by Hurricane Dora, the fire quickly spread. On the evening of the 9th local time in Maui County, it was announced that at least 36 people have died in the fire. Dozens of people were injured in the fire, and 271 buildings, including schools, churches, and many small businesses, were damaged or even burned down.
According to reports, the fire spread over 2000 acres and posed a threat to over 35000 people on the island of Maui. The famous historical and cultural tourist destination of La Haina Town is the hardest hit area of this fire. At least 11000 tourists were evacuated from Maui Island, thousands of residents fled their homes, and the town of La Haina was partially reduced to ashes.
According to the US electricity tracking website "PowerOutage.us" on the 10th, electricity in Maui County has recovered compared to the previous day, but more than 10000 users still experience power outages. Maui County has added two emergency shelters in addition to the original four shelters.
Hawaii's Acting Governor Sylvia Luke declared a state of emergency on the 9th and activated the Hawaii National Guard to assist. The White House issued a statement on the 10th stating that US President Biden announced the mobilization of federal resources to help Hawaii and Maui County cope with the "major disaster" caused by the wildfire.
On August 10th local time, US President Biden approved the Hawaii State Major Disaster Declaration and ordered federal aid to areas affected by wildfires starting from August 8th.
On the same day, US Department of Defense spokesperson Pat Rider stated that 134 members of the National Guard have been deployed to assist in responding to the raging wildfire in Hawaii. In addition, 7 helicopters have been deployed to support firefighting and search and rescue operations.