白宫周一概述了正在采取的援助毛伊岛的措施致命的野火并对有关乔·拜登总统回应的问题进行了辩护。

联邦紧急事务管理局局长迪安·克里斯威尔说，总统已经下令“整个政府”应对火灾，这是该州历史上最致命的自然灾害。

“当居民继续哀悼他们失去的朋友、亲人、邻居、失去的家园和他们的生活方式时，我们知道，并让他们知道，我们和他们一起哀悼，”克里斯威尔说，她几乎从岛上参加了每日新闻发布会。“没有什么能让你对我在这里看到的一切有所准备，也没有什么能让他们对这场严重事件给他们带来的影响的情感代价有所准备。”

至少有96人在火灾中丧生，官员们警告说，随着搜救行动的继续，这个数字可能会上升。

拜登总统在特拉华州的雷霍博斯海滩周末度假时，似乎说他对不断上升的死亡人数无可奉告，这引起了批评。

当被问及对批评者提出拜登不应该在毛伊岛危机继续发展的时候在海滩上花费时间的回应时，白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔说，政府的回应表明他“深切关注”毛伊岛的人民。

让-皮埃尔说:“他将确保该州从联邦政府那里获得恢复所需的一切，因为他深感关切，只要夏威夷政府需要，他就会继续支持它。”他指出，他一直与夏威夷州长乔什·格林、克里斯威尔和其他人就那里的局势进行定期接触。

2023年8月14日，联邦应急管理局局长迪安·克里斯威尔出现在屏幕上，她与白宫新闻秘书郭佳欣·让-皮埃尔一起参加了白宫的新闻发布会。

埃文·伍奇/美联社

拜登(姓氏)最后一次公开发言关于8月10日犹他州一场活动中的火灾。然后，在简短的评论中，他说，在他批准夏威夷的灾难声明后，“每一项资产”都将提供给受影响的个人。

让-皮埃尔说，目前没有拜登访问毛伊岛的计划，但美国人民应该期待听到他对这场悲剧的更多意见。

当被问及拜登可能的访问时，克里斯威尔说，总统给了她“空间”，以确保他们有他们需要的东西，“现在不中断运营”

“我们只是想确保我们正在努力帮助这个社区确认每个失踪的人，我们现在需要专注于此，”克里斯威尔说。

更多的搜救犬被派去和救援人员一起工作，继续搜寻在火灾中失踪的人。

克里斯威尔说，搜索工作有各种各样的复杂性，包括狗工作的高温和建筑物“极其危险”的条件。她拒绝透露对失踪人员的搜寻会持续多久，或者死亡人数会上升到多高。

“我们希望确保我们尽可能快地做这件事，但我们以一种有条不紊的、适当的、文化上敏感的方式来做，以确保我们能够对每个人负责，”她说。"所以，我们需要给他们空间和时间去做这件事."

据行政部门称，目前有300名联邦应急管理局工作人员在现场，该机构提供了大约50 000份膳食、75 000升水、5 000张帆布床和10 000条毯子。

为了进一步帮助幸存者，联邦应急管理局启动了一个过渡性庇护援助计划，以帮助流离失所的居民找到一个酒店或汽车旅馆，以及一个“关键需求”计划，为符合条件的人提供700美元的食物，水和其他用品。

在美国广播公司首席白宫记者玛丽·布鲁斯追问政府是否能够满足所有来自该州的援助请求时，克里斯威尔说，她相信他们在当地有足够的资源和人员。

克里斯威尔说:“在这一点上，我不知道我们还没有能够满足什么，我们将继续在岛上建立我们的存在，以支持这一点。”。“这将是一个长期的恢复行动，我们现在有我们需要的资源。随着我们继续确定需求，我们将继续前进。”

美国海岸警卫队、夏威夷国民警卫队和一些现役部队迅速采取行动8月8日大火爆发后，协助交通管制和灭火。

根据五角大楼的说法，截至周一早上，夏威夷国民警卫队已经启动了大约251名陆军国民警卫队和空军国民警卫队人员，以协助野火应对和恢复。

五角大楼发言人帕特·赖德准将说，军方准备提供额外的援助，但这取决于联邦应急管理局的请求。

“我们想尽我们所能提供帮助。但我们也不想通过派遣不必要的能力来阻碍任何类型的应急反应，从而加剧问题，”赖德在与记者的交谈中说。

赖德称，拥有数千名现役军人的美国印度太平洋司令部“一触即发，能够在必要时提供支持。”

克里斯威尔称，联邦应急管理局正在与印度-太平洋司令部联系，以就资源进行可能的协调，并称国防部是联邦应急管理局“最强有力的合作伙伴”之

White House outlines Maui fire response, says Biden is 'deeply concerned'

The White House on Monday outlined steps being taken to aid Maui amid itsdeadly wildfires, and defended against questions about President Joe Biden's response.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said the president has ordered a "whole of government" approach to the fires, now the deadliest natural disaster in state history.

"As residents continue to mourn the loss of their friends, their loved ones, their neighbors, the loss of their homes and their way of life, we know, and let them know that we are mourning with them," Criswell said as she joined the daily press briefing virtually from the island. "Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here, and nothing can prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that this severe event has taken on them."

At least 96 people have died in the fires, and officials warn that number will likely rise as search-and-rescue operations continue.

President Biden drew criticism when he appeared to say he had no comment Sunday on the mounting death toll while on a weekend vacation at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

When asked to respond to critics who suggested Biden shouldn't have spent time at the beach as the Maui crisis continued to unfold, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the government's response shows he is "deeply concerned" about the people of Maui.

"He's going to make sure the state has everything it needs from the federal government to recover because he is deeply concerned, and he's going to continue to be there for the government of Hawaii for as long as it takes," Jean-Pierre said, noting he has been in regular contact with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, Criswell and others on the situation unfolding there.

Bidenlast spoke publiclyabout the fires on Aug. 10 during an event in Utah. Then, in brief remarks, he said "every asset" would be made available to individuals impacted after he approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii.

Jean-Pierre said there are currently no scheduled plans for Biden to visit Maui, but the American people should expect to hear more from him on the tragedy.

Criswell, when asked about a potential Biden visit, said the president has given her the "space" to make sure they have what they need and "not disrupt operations right now."

"We just want to make sure that we are working to help this community identify everybody that's missing and we need to stay focused on that right now," Criswell said.

More cadaver dogs are being sent to work alongside the responders to continue searching for people lost in the fires.

Criswell said there are various complexities to the search effort, including the high temperatures the dogs are working in and the "extremely dangerous" conditions of the buildings. She declined to say how long the search for the missing may last, or how high the death toll may rise.

"We want to make sure that we're doing this as quickly as possible, but that we do it in a way that's methodical and appropriate and culturally sensitive to make sure that we are going to be able to account for everybody," she said. "And so, we need to give them the space and time to do that."

According to administration, 300 FEMA workers are currently on the ground and the agency has provided approximately 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets.

To further assist survivors, FEMA has activated a transitional sheltering assistance program to help displaced residents find a hotel or motel, as well as a "critical needs" program to provide $700 to eligible people for food, water and other supplies.

Pressed by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce on whether the government has been able to meet all aid requests from the state, Criswell said she believed they have enough resources and staff on the ground.

"At this point, I have no awareness of anything that we have not been able to meet, and we'll continue to build up our presence here on the island to support this," Criswell said. "This is going to be a long-term recovery operation, we have the resources we need today. And as we continue to identify what the needs are, we'll continue to move forward."

The U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii's National Guard and some active-duty forcessprung into actionafter the flames broke out on Aug. 8 to assist with traffic control and fire suppression.

According to the Pentagon, as of Monday morning the Hawaii National Guard had activated approximately 251 Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel to assist with wildfire response and recovery.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the military was ready to provide additional assistance, but it was up to FEMA to request it.

"We want to do everything we can to help. But we also don't want to contribute to the problem by sending unnecessary capabilities that would hinder any type of emergency response," Ryder said in a gaggle with reporters.

Ryder described U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, home to thousands of active-duty military members, as being on "a hair trigger to be able to support as necessary."

Criswell called said FEMA is in contact with Indo-Pacific Command for possible coordination on resources, and called the Department of Defense one of FEMA's "strongest partners."