Maui fires latest: Biden set to meet with survivors in Hawaii as residents grapple with emotional loss

Good Morning America host Gio Benitez recently opened up about his harrowing experience covering the Maui wildfires on Instagram. In his comment section, there was an outpour of support from audiences and fans alike, with some hailing the host’s coverage as “Emmy-worthy”.

Beneath a photo of a Maui sunset taken on 8 August, Benitez wrote that he had taken the photo at 6.46 pm that day, and that he and his husband ExtraTV correspondent, Tommy DiDario, had been on vacation and “like so many on the island,” were unaware that Maui was on fire.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Nevada late Friday for more rest and relaxation.

The first couple is renting a private home on Lake Tahoe, the massive alpine lake that abuts California and Nevada and is a tourist attraction, particularly in the winter for its ski resorts.

The home in the Glenbrook community belongs to Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor. Steyer is an investor, climate activist and Democratic donor. He ran for president in 2020.

The Bidens are renting the home for fair market value, the White House said, and will spend about a week in the area.

The Bidens will halt their vacation for a day on Monday to visit Maui.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

New documents allege that state authorities in Hawaii delayed a water management company’s request to divert water to Maui to help fight wildfires that ripped through the island earlier this month.

The allegations were reportedly detailed in a letter obtained by CNN.

Glenn Tremble of the West Maui Land Company — which manages the state’s water supply companies — expressed his frustration in a letter to the Hawaii Commission on Water Resource Management, reportedly claiming the agency failed to approve his company’s request to move water to reservoirs to help firefighting capabilities during the wildfire.

He was told that the company had to consider the impact such a diversion would take on downstream users, according to the report.

State officials announced they will investigate the emergency response to the wildfire, which killed more than 100 people earlier this month.

It is unclear if the diversion would have made a notable difference in the firefighting capabilities of responders battling the blaze.

In an update, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said more than 1800 people who lost their homes in the Maui wildfire are currently residing in hotel rooms.

For those remaining people in shelters, the director of human services for the state of Hawaii said they were working around the clock to find a semi-permanent place to live

A wedding videographer has candidly criticised brides for worrying about their big days and asking for refunds amid relief efforts for the Maui wildfires.

Shayna Kiesler couldn’t believe how many requests she’d received from individuals looking to get their non-refundable deposits back from her company, Portola Wedding Films in Maui, because they would no longer be able to host their nuptials on the island. The community is being forced to not only deal with the loss of loved ones, landmarks, homes, businesses, and crops, but as she noted, brides-to-be are also worried about their personal fortunes too.