Biden told Maui wildfire survivors that he can relate, citing a small fire he had in his kitchen in 2004 (22.08.23)
When President Joe Biden met with survivors of the Maui wildfires on Monday, he told them that he could relate to them because he and First Lady Jill Biden knew what it was like to lose a home to a fire.

But the fire in question was described by the Associated Press at the time as "a small fire that was contained to the kitchen," with the Delaware fire chief indicating that it was under control in 20 minutes....

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We just surveyed the damage. I want you to know: whatever it takes, as long as it takes.

And I look at your congressmen and senators and governor and lieutenant governor. We're going to get it done for you, but get it done the way you want it done —(applause)—not get it done somebody else's way. No, I mean it.

I don't want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, what it's like to lose a home. Years ago—now 15 years ago—I was in Washington doing "Meet the Press." It was a sunny Sunday, and lightning struck at home on a little lake that's outside of our home—not a lake, a big pond —and hit a wire and came up underneath our home into the heating ducts—the air conditioning ducts. [...] To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my '67 Corvette, and my cat. But all kidding aside, I watched the firefighters, the way they responded.

You know, there's an old expression -- I grew up right across the street from a fire hall in Claymont, Delaware. And the expression is, "God made man, and then he made a few firefighters." You're all crazy, thank God. The only people who run into flames to help other people. And they ran into flames to save my wife and save my family. Not a joke.
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