Defense

Pentagon bolsters efforts to battle wildfires in Hawaii

by Brad Dress - 08/15/23 4:23 PM ET

A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Thousands of residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town in one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years. (AP Photo/Ty O’Neil)

The U.S. military is strengthening response efforts in Hawaii as the state battles wildfires and their aftermath on Maui, with the Pentagon planning to move supplies and emergency responders more quickly around the island.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Tuesday that U.S. Army Pacific is overseeing six new mission assignments designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist Hawaiians.

Those missions include moving cargo, personnel and equipment around the island with aircraft and other vehicles, creating a defense coordinating office and setting up new staging areas on Maui for more coordinated responses.

Singh said more than 250 Hawaiian National Guard members have now been mobilized to fight the wildfires, along with 140 U.S. Coast Guard responders and dozens of personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“The [U.S. military] will continue to work closely with state officials, FEMA and other supporting agencies to support the people of Hawaii in response to this incredibly terrible disaster,” Singh told reporters at a briefing.

Wildfires in Upcountry Maui were 65 percent contained as of Monday night, according to the Maui County government. The Lahaina fire, named for the town it has decimated, was about 85 percent contained, while two other fires have now been extinguished.

President Biden first authorized the U.S. military to respond to the Hawaii blazes last week, deploying the Coast Guard and Navy to assist state responders.

Biden on Tuesday also announced he would visit Hawaii with first lady Jill Biden “as soon as we can,” noting the fires on Maui have already taken the lives of 99 people.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Hawaii,” the president said. “But not just our prayers, every asset, every asset they need will be there for them. And we’ll be there in Maui as long as it takes.”

There are more than 500 federal emergency personnel helping Hawaii. Singh said Tuesday the military specifically was focused on search-and-rescue operations and getting needed supplies to communities.