US President Joe Biden has declared the Hawaii wildfires a "major disaster," unblocking federal funds for the hard-hit island of Maui after the flames claimed at least 36 lives and razed a historic town.
https://www.rte.ie/news/us/2023/0810/1399001-hawaii-wildfire/
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There is a home owner in my township that also has a home in Lahaina. They obviously were there, as they mailed their tax payment in from HI and I received it at the time the fires broke out. I processed their payment. I hope they didn't die in the fires.
Lahaina Maui up in flames. Buildings were made out of wood, and whole town destroyed. There is a video on Facebook that describes the damage. Seems the federal government, he said, would not let supplies to come in, or rescue attempts to be made. Seems this town was built on top of lava tubes, which are now filled with active lava; that, and the dry conditions the last few days. The man in the video stated there were many dead. There were roadblocks everywhere, and that if a person left a safe location they would not be permitted to return. One person described it as Katrina was after New Orleans was hit with that hurricane with police roadblocks everywhere. People are without the basic necessities of food, water, or even gasoline. Some want to leave the area but have no gasoline to do so. 🙏