President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Maui on Monday.
Aug. 22 2023, Published 7:50 a.m. ET
President Joe Biden sparked outrage this week when he compared the Hawaii wildfires that killed more than 115 people to a kitchen fire at his own home 20 years ago, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The surprising comparison came on Monday as the 80-year-old president and First Lady Jill Biden visited Maui to survey the damage that took place across the wildfire-ravaged Hawaiian island earlier this month.
Article continues below advertisement
The pair surveyed the damage that took place across the wildfire-ravaged island earlier this month.
According to President Biden, he and the first lady “have a little sense” of “what it’s like to lose a home” because of a small kitchen fire that started in their Wilmington, Delaware home in 2004.
“I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense – Jill and I – what it’s like to lose a home,” President Biden told the residents of Lahaina – the historic Hawaiian town that was leveled by the wildfires on August 8.
“Years ago now – 15 years ago – I was in Washington doing Meet the Press,” Biden continued. “It was a sunny Sunday and lightning struck at home on a little lake that is outside of our home – not on a lake, a big pond.”
“And it hit a wire and came up underneath our home into the heating ducts, air conditioning ducts,” he explained. “And to make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and my cat.”
Article continues below advertisement
President Biden compared the Maui wildfires to a small kitchen fire that took place at his Delaware home in 2004.
“[The firefighters] ran into flames to save my wife and save my family,” President Biden concluded. “Not a joke.”
Multiple sources have since debunked Biden’s story. According to local fire chief George Lamborn, the incident the president described was a “small fire that was contained to the kitchen” and “under control in 20 minutes.”
Delaware’s Cranston Heights Fire Company refuted the president’s story further and described the 2004 incident as “insignificant.”
“For the fire service, this could be considered an insignificant fire as it did not lead to multiple alarms and did not need a widespread incident response throughout the county,” the fire department said last year.
Article continues below advertisement
Biden sparked intense backlash for comparing the wildfires that killed at least 115 people to a small kitchen fire.
MORE ON:
Joe Biden
“However, in the case for any homeowner, it was obviously significant at the time and was quickly responded to by the local firefighters.”
Meanwhile, President Biden sparked outrage across Maui on Monday over his response to the devastating wildfires.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Dozens of Maui residents heckled the 80-year-old commander-in-chief when he touched down on the island around 12 PM noon on Monday.
“Go home Joe!” the group chanted as the president and first lady drove from Kapalua Airport to Lahaina.
Article continues below advertisement
Protestors heckled Biden during his visit and questioned why the Hawaiian island was not receiving more aid from the government.
Other residents created signs with messages that read: “NO COMMENT,” “REALLY $7?”, “ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS”, and “FJB.”
Dennis Mullen, a resident of nearby Kahana, questioned Biden’s initial absence and noted how the airport the president arrived at could have been used to deliver supplies.
“Where has the president been?” Mullen asked. “Any number of military aircraft, planes, and helicopters could have flown in here.”
“To leave a town that was just devastated and shut down was just ridiculous,” the Kahana resident continued. “The runway wasn’t cratered.”