The Defense Department is committed to supporting Hawaii in any way it can as state, local and federal officials respond to the devastating wildfire that swept through Maui, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said today.
Approximately 250 Hawaii National Guard personnel have been activated to assist in the ongoing wildfire response and recovery efforts, Ryder said, and Defense officials are ready to assist further at the request of state and federal emergency management professionals.
"We're going to continue to lean very far forward to assist the state of Hawaii, assist [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and other supporting agencies to do everything we can to support the state and the people of Hawaii as we respond to this," he said.
We are going to support the state of Hawaii with whatever it is asked for in order to assist on the ground there."
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder
The fast-moving blaze, which has been fueled by strong winds from a nearby hurricane, began on Tuesday, leaving more than 90 people dead and destroying hundreds of structures.
Officials are preparing for an extended recovery effort.
The National Guard began assisting soon after the fire broke out last week, initially activating 134 troops and assigning two Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopters to support wildfire response and search-and-recovery efforts.
Additional National Guard troops have been activated in recent days.
National Guard crews have dropped more than 189,000 gallons of water so far in support of wildfire efforts, Ryder said.
The National Guard personnel are also serving as liaison support to the Hawaiian Emergency Management Agency and are supporting local law enforcement.
In addition to the National Guard support, the Army Reserve is providing the American Red Cross with space at the reserve center in Maui for supply distribution.
The Army Corps of Engineers has sent debris removal personnel and temporary power experts to Maui to assist with response efforts.
The Coast Guard has been conducting underwater surveys of the Lahaina harbor to identify any structural damage that may have occurred.
Ryder said the DOD is coordinating its response closely with state and local agencies on the ground so as not to add additional logistical challenges to the response effort.
"We are going to support the state of Hawaii with whatever it is asked for in order to assist on the ground there," Ryder said. "What you don't want to do in these situations is add insult to injury with everyone rushing things forward when you're also now creating additional potential logistics challenges, communication challenges, etc.
"We're all watching those images, and everyone fully understands the pain that people are experiencing right now," he said. "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 there should be "no question" about the DOD's commitment to supporting the state of Hawaii, "at any level."