The federal government has gone into disaster response mode after wildfires destroyed Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii earlier this week . President Joe Biden issued a federal disaster declaration on Thursday and promised to send whatever is needed to help the recovery . FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Maui on Friday and said FEMA was providing meals for people for five days . FEMA Region Administrator Bob Fenton who has been working from Oahu mobilized an incident response team . Fenton said on Thursday that cadaver dogs from California and Washington were being brought to help in recovery efforts in affected areas in Lahaina . As of Friday morning Eastern time the people who had been found dead were all found outside of buildings in Maui because search and rescue teams were not equipped to go into buildings . The Hawaiian National Guard mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression and rescue on Maui . Biden said the Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleet were also supporting response and rescue efforts . The Army provided Black Hawk Helicopters to fight fires on the Island of Hawaii according to Biden . The Department of Transportation worked with commercial airlines to evacuate tourists from Maui Biden said . The Coast Guard has also rescued people who have gone into the ocean to take shelter from the fire and smoke in the ocean . The declaration makes federal funding available to the State and eligible local governments on a costsharing basis. The declaration also makes federal funds for hazard mitigation measures across the state also on a number of other types of equipment . The department of Agriculture Department were on standby to provide assistance to provide for hazard relief. The Declaration also said the Department of Forestry and Agriculture Department was on standby. The Department Of Transportation worked to evacuate . The Declaration. was also said to be on standby for the .
What we know about the federal government’s response to the Hawaii fires so far . Hawaii
