Biden to Travel to Hawaii to Meet With Wildfire Survivors

By Jorge Garcia and Sandra Stojanovic

LAHAINA, Hawaii (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden and first girl Jill Biden will journey to Hawaii subsequent week to survey the devastation left within the wake of the lethal wildfires that ravaged the Maui resort city of Lahaina final week, the White Home stated on Wednesday.

Biden on Monday will meet with first responders and survivors, in addition to federal, state and native officers, the White Home stated in an announcement.

The inferno killed not less than 106 folks after racing from grasslands outdoors city into Lahaina final Tuesday and charring a 5-square-mile (13-square-km) space of city in hours. The hearth, which caught residents abruptly, destroyed 2,200 buildings and brought about an estimated $5.5 billion in harm, officers stated.

Per week later, traumatized residents of the West Maui city have grown weary from dwelling off aid provides whereas many have been stored from inspecting their properties and nonetheless left awaiting information of their lacking family members. Lots of of persons are nonetheless believed to be lacking.

As much as 20 cadaver canine have led search groups on a block-by-block search of the ashes. The groups have lined solely 27% of the catastrophe space as of Tuesday, Governor Josh Inexperienced stated in a televised deal with on Tuesday. Some 80% to 90% of the zone is predicted to have been swept by the weekend.

(Extra reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago)

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