36 dead and tens of thousands displaced by wildfires ravaging Hawaii

At least 36 people have died as a consequence of the serious forest fires affecting the American archipelago of Hawaii, especially the island Mauiaccording to local authorities, who have declared an emergency and requested the deployment of the National Guard to try to contain the emergency.

Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. of Maui County has confirmed an initial tally of 36 deaths, without ruling out the possibility that the number could continue to rise. “Our main goal at the moment is to save lives,” proclaims this leader, while the population struggles to flee from the flames.

Tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated, while the Coast Guard has indicated that some civilians have chosen to go to sea to escape the fires, according to NBC News. The fires affect the island of Maui, but also that of Hawaii, where there are no reports of fatalities yet.

State Governor Josh Green lamented the “terrible disaster”, which he linked to hurricane-force winds and drought, and described the emergency services’ work as “heroic”, resulting in no more casualties. In a statement, he announced that he will seek a formal disaster declaration from the president, Joe Biden, in the coming days, “once the extent of damage is known” from the fires.

For his part, the US president Joe Bidenannounced the mobilization of military forces to fight the fires: “I have ordered the presence of all available federal resources in the islands to assist in the response,” he said, according to a White House statement.

The Hawaii National Guard has mobilized helicopters to assist with firefighting and search and rescue on the island of Maui, with support from the Coast Guard and a Navy fleet. Meanwhile, US Marines have provided military-grade helicopters to fight the fires on the island.