Biden to visit Maui on Monday as wildfire deaths continue to climb

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Maui, Hawaii on Monday after wildfires on the island have left over 100 people dead.

“In Maui, the President and First Lady will be welcomed by state and local leaders to see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery effort,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday.

The president plans to meet with first responders and survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials while in Maui, she said. Last week, Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaii in order to free up federal aid to support the island.

Biden said Tuesday that he and the first lady would visit “as soon as we can.” “That’s what I’ve been talking to the governor about. I don’t want to get in the way,” he said.

The wildfires have left 106 people dead as of Tuesday. Eighty-five percent of the fire in the historic town of Lahaina on Maui island has been contained since the fires started last week, according to officials.

The catastrophic blaze has led to mass evacuations and widespread power outages, impacting thousands. It's the country's most lethal wildfire in a century.