A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii, August 9, 2023 (Ty O’Neil/AP)

The toll on the Hawaiian island of Maui has risen to 111 in the US’s deadliest wildfires in more than a century.

I spoke with Monocle Radio’s Georgina Godwin on Thursday about the political dynamics, including whether Joe Biden will pay an electoral price for his weekend vacation and “No Comment” as first responders tried to deal with the fires and the thousands who lost their homes.

Travel executive Paul Charles and I also discuss the attempt to balance recovery with tourism, and about the fundamental of climate change behind the surge in wildfires around the world.

Listen from 3:01:

If this had occurred during next year’s primaries or especially during the general election, that would have immediate consequences for Biden because the news is fresh.

But we’re still six months away from the first primary and almost a year from the general election getting under way, and I think the news cycle will have moved on to other issues.