This weekend, Governor Josh Green, M.D., Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell and other federal officials joined together on Maui to deliver a briefing about the wildfires’ impacts and round-the-clock efforts for residents and visitors.

Officials summarized an assessment of affected neighborhoods and business districts as well as detailing federal and state relief made available by the presidential disaster declaration, requested by Governor Green.

According to a press release, Governor Green said, “We ask for a lot of understanding about traveling into the zone where the fire occurred. The reason is the health consequences, the heavy metals…The recommendations are to avoid the structures because they could still fall on people and we’ve lost too much life already.“ Green continued, “I think what people are most interested in is housing, how we’re going to house our people. We put together a Temporary Housing Task Force to work with our federal partners. We’ve already secured 1,000 rooms. Five hundred rooms will go to families that have been displaced because of the terrible fire, the other 500 rooms will go to support, initially …In the days that follow, we’ll have long-term rentals, those are the short-term rentals-turned-long-term. All of that is going to be covered, some by the state, some it’s going to be given charitably and finally, FEMA will cover a great deal of the cost.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen spoke of the dangers to the public in the hardest-hit area of Lāhainā and the need to allow for recovery of the victims, with 89 being the latest available number.

Bissen said, “We’re not letting anybody into the impacted zone … It is not safe, it is a hazardous area and that’s why experts are here. We’re not doing anybody any favors by letting them back in there quickly, just so they can get sick. That can wait. A lot of what’s happening now is, we’re asking for the respect and dignity of recovering anyone who is still there … That’s the phase we’re in.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell accompanied Governor Green and others on the assessment visit Saturday.

Additional dignitaries at the news conference included U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono; U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda; U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman; U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell; Joint Task Force Commander, Brigadier General Stephen F. Logan; Hawai‘i Army National Guard Col. David Hatcher, and U.S. Army Col. David Fielder.

 

Photo credit: Office of Governor Josh Green