During a visit to the tragedy-stricken island of Maui, President Biden drew parallels between his own history with fires, and the devastation he witnessed. Recalling a minor incident from 15 years ago when lightning ignited a fire in his Delaware home, Biden shared his empathy for those who have lost their homes due to recent fires.

“I almost lost my wife, my 67 corvette, my cat.”

Joe Biden feels the pain of Lahaina talking about his kitchen fire.
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— Will Cain (@willcain) August 22, 2023

“We can’t equate difficulties, but Jill and I understand a bit of what it feels like to lose a home,” the President expressed. He went on to recount the incident from 15 years ago: “Years back, about 15 years ago, I was in Washington for ‘Meet the Press,’ and lightning struck near our home by a pond. It hit a wire and traveled up through the air conditioning ducts under our home.”

“To put it succinctly, I nearly lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette, and our cat,” President Biden added.

JUST IN: President Biden jokes about how hot the ground is in Maui after a fire ripped through, killing hundreds.

“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” he joked.

Despite media reports of roughly 100 deaths from the fires, locals estimate that at least… pic.twitter.com/mRlVuN9kns

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

This isn’t the first time Biden has shared this particular story. In November 2021, he mentioned the incident while speaking about the bipartisan infrastructure plan in New Hampshire, highlighting the importance of bridges. He said, “I know, having had a house burn down with my wife in it – she got out safely, God willing – that having a significant portion of it burn, I can tell: 10 minutes make a hell of a difference.”

Joe Biden falling asleep in Maui whilst meeting local survivors of one of the worst Human Tragedies in American History.

Impeach this child sniffing corrupted criminal NOW. pic.twitter.com/1v1GflvQ3y

— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) August 22, 2023

The President has also recounted the event in 2013, mentioning how a fire “destroyed a significant portion” of his New Hampshire home.

In a 2004 report by the Associated Press, archived by LexisNexis, it was noted that lightning struck the Bidens’ home, causing a “small fire contained to the kitchen.” Firefighters reportedly managed to control the blaze within 20 minutes, preventing it from spreading beyond the kitchen.