Obama: It’s ‘tough’ to see images coming out of Hawaii

Former President Obama said it’s “tough” for him to see images of deadly wildfires raging in Hawaii.

“It’s tough to see some of the images coming out of Hawai’i — a place that’s so special to so many of us,” Obama wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Michelle and I are thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one, or whose life has been turned upside down.”

The former president was born and spent a significant portion of his childhood in Hawaii. He also regularly vacations there with his family.

At least 36 people have died and 271 structures have been destroyed due to a fire that’s being driven by hurricane-force winds, Maui County officials announced late Wednesday. In Lahaina Town, the historic former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, some fled to the ocean to escape the fires, with the Coast Guard reporting it rescued 14 people from off the shore Wednesday. 

Airlines announced Thursday they would send planes to help with the evacuation effort.