DENVER – President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived in Colorado just after 2 p.m. Friday to tour the damage from the Marshall Fire and meet with victims.
The Bidens were joined on the flight to Denver by Reps. Joe Neguse and Jason Crow and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. They were greeted on the tarmac by Gov. Jared Polis.
The group toured the damage from the Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses on Dec. 30 during a hurricane-force wind event.
The president and first lady were seen meeting with several families in front of their burnt-down homes and with Louisville firefighters.
Following his tour, Biden delivered remarks about what he observed.
"We're, you know, declaring the national disaster area," Biden said. "We're, we're going to do everything we possibly can.”
Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration on Dec. 31, which freed up fire recovery funds for victims to get temporary housing, recover home repair costs and low-cost loans for uninsured property, among other things.
The first lady also stood at the podium and addressed the victims. She recognized that many families lost pets in the fire.
"And you know, they’re members of the family too, so I want to just say how terribly sorry we are for the loss of your pets because we’re animal people," she said.
The president reminded people to "keep the faith" as they rebuild their community.
