The catastrophic fire tearing through Maui, Hawaii, has now become the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, catching the attention of the world and its leaders, including King Charles III.
The monarch shared a personally-signed message to Instagram on Saturday, August 12, where he sent his condolences to U.S. President Biden and the people of Hawaii.
The portion shared to Instagram was just an excerpt of the entire message, which was posted on the official royal family website here.
In his note, King Charles wrote, “Dear Mr. President, my wife and I were utterly horrified to hear of the catastrophic wildfires currently burning in Maui, Hawai'i. We can only begin to imagine the scale of the devastation engulfing the island, and the heartrending anguish of those whose livelihoods have been so disastrously affected.”
The monarch continued by offering his “deepest possible sympathy” to the families of those who have lost their lives in the fires, as well as any others affected by the disaster. He closed by writing, “As the recovery effort continues, my special thoughts are with the extraordinarily brave emergency responders and Maui residents who are providing their support and assistance.”
As noted by ABC News, the death count has gone up to 93, which makes this the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since it became a U.S. state. This is also the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in the last 100 years, surpassing the 2018 Camp Fire in California, according to NBC News.
The fires were a tragic result of an ongoing drought mixed with strong winds, leading to a blaze that has now destroyed over 2,000 acres of land. A state of emergency has been declared for the entire island, and on August 10, President Biden made an order for Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the affected areas.
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