Wildfires fanned by the winds of a distant hurricane have killed at least six people and caused extensive damage on Hawaii's Maui island, forcing some people to jump into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames.
Multiple neighbourhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island, including the tourist resort of Lahaina, was nearly cut off with only one highway open as officials told of widespread devastation that was still too early to quantify.
"We just had the worst disaster I've ever seen. All of Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It's like an apocalypse," said Lahaina resident Mason Jarvi, who escaped from city.
At least 4000 tourists were still trying to leave western Maui, said Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Though at least 16 roads were closed, the Maui airport was still operating fully and airlines were dropping fares and offering waivers to get people off the island, Sniffen said.
Panicked people fleeing the flames posted videos and photos on social media showing apocalyptic clouds of smoke billowing up over formerly once-idyllic beaches and palm trees.
"Our main focus now is to save lives," Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen told a news briefing.
Bissen had few details about the deaths, saying he had just been informed of the number before the briefing started.
"The situation is really fluid. They are doing search and rescue as we speak," said National Guard Major General Kenneth Hara.
Some people were forced to jump into the ocean to escape the smoke and fire conditions, prompting the US Coast Guard to rescue them, according to a Maui County press release.
The state opened at least five evacuation shelters, officials said.
The White House issued a message of condolence from US President Joe Biden, who praised the work of firefighters and ordered "all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response".
The situation in Hawaii mirrored scenes of devastation elsewhere in the world this summer, as wildfires caused by record-setting heat forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and other parts of Europe.
Dustin Johnson, a native of San Diego, was in West Maui's Lahaina working for a charter boat company that takes tourists on two-hour tours from the harbour.
"I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it," he told Reuters in an interview at Kahului Airport, a 25-minute drive east of Lahaina. "And I just ran out and helped everyone I could along the way."
The National Weather Service said the current brush fires arise from a mix of conditions: dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity. According to the University of Hawaii, large fires are an almost annual occurrence in some parts of the Hawaiian archipelago, though the scope of these fires is unusual.
By Tuesday night, hundreds of acres had already burned and roads and schools had closed in parts of Hawaii and Maui Counties, according to an emergency proclamation issued by acting Hawaii Governor Sylvia Luke. Hawaii County encompasses the Big Island, which lies south of Maui.
In Maui, the fires also destroyed parts of Kula, a residential area in the inland, mountainous Upcountry region, the proclamation said.
Officials say the winds from Hurricane Dora have fanned the flames across the state. The storm was about 1279km miles south-south west of Hawaii as of 0100 AEST Thursday, the National Hurricane Centre said.
Ian Martin, an NWS forecaster in Honolulu, told Reuters that the worst of the high winds should end by late Wednesday or early Thursday.
© RAW 2023