Maui residents slam slow federal response to wildfires

Hawaiians have been forced to take charge of their own wildfire recovery efforts in light of what some are blasting as an incredibly slow response by the federal government.

Professional surfer and Maui resident Kai Lenny said he and others sprang into action and got “boots on the ground” on the devastated west side of the island instead of waiting for the feds any longer.

“For some of us we were kind of sitting back, waiting for help to arrive and then nothing was sort of happening. We were just in shock,” Lenny told CBS News.

“I haven’t seen one state, one county, one federal official at any one of the donation hubs where people are most suffering,” Lenny continued. “As soon as you go to the west side, all of a sudden, you’re like, ‘Wow, why do I feel like I’m in a third-world country right now?’”

At least 99 people have perished in the fires — the deadliest in the country in more than a century — that have razed the west side of the island. Hundreds are still not accounted for. Destitute residents say they have had to turn to each other for assistance as the government response at all levels has been inadequate or absent.

“The Hawaiian people, the locals that have lived here, they just always feel like they’re the last to be thought of. And they’re, like, the foundation of it,” Lenny said. 

FEMA says it has deployed some 300 employees to Maui, while the Red Cross has 250 disaster workers, according to CBS News.

The Post has reached out to FEMA and Maui county officials for comment on Lenny’s claims.

Meanwhile, Lenny pleaded for more help.

“I wonder if the state, county, they believe we’re doing such a good job that they don’t need to step in,” Lenny said. “But a lot of these volunteers have been going all day, all night, for five, six days now and are exhausted and are waiting for a handoff, or, at least a break.”

Other residents have launched their own fundraising efforts such as the “Help Maui Rise” Google spreadsheet created by locals Sam Feyen, Kenna Reed and Gabby Pascual.

As of Tuesday evening, the online document had nearly entries linking to various fundraisers to help specific victims in need.

“We’re just three members of the community that saw the need to help. We’re not associated with any organizations but are currently exploring opportunities to grow,” the three wrote in an Instagram post.

On Tuesday, President Biden bumbled through his first public comments on the heartbreaking blaze after issuing a cold-hearted “no comment” over the weekend when asked about the rising death toll.