Received

Climate and technology will be high on the agenda for a meeting in Washington between Joe Biden and Anthony Albanese.

The prime minister will travel to the US for an official visit between October 23 and October 26, Mr Albanese's first official trip to Washington since taking office.

Mr Albanese said discussions with the US president would be productive and build on previous meetings between the pair.

"Our alliance with the United States has long been at the heart of our foreign policy," he told parliament on Thursday.

"For generations now, we've worked together in service of our shared ideals as partners for peace, for security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, but in the wider world as well."

The prime minister said action to tackle climate change and the AUKUS agreement would be among the topics discussed between the leaders, along with research and manufacturing.

Mr Albanese will also use the visit to reopen the Australian embassy in Washington, following renovations.

The White House said the visit would "underscore the deep and enduring alliance between the United States and Australia and the two nations' shared commitment to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific".

The prime minister said Australia's hosting of Exercise Malabar this weekend - which involves the US, Japanese and Indian military - was another example of defence co-operation in the region.

It is the first time the Royal Australian Navy has hosted the exercise.

Mr Biden was set to visit Australia for the Quad leaders' summit earlier this year before domestic debt ceiling negotiations with Congress forced him to cancel his trip.

Mr Albanese travelled to San Diego in March to announce how Australia would acquire nuclear-propelled submarines under the trilateral AUKUS agreement alongside Mr Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The White House is also set to host Pacific island leaders towards the end of the year as Washington moves to strengthen its standing in the region.

© AAP 2023

Wildfires have killed at least six people and devastated much of the resort city Lahaina on Hawaii's Maui island, forcing thousands to evacuate as some fled into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames.

Multiple neighbourhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island was nearly cut off with only one highway open as officials told of widespread devastation to Lahaina, its harbour and surrounding areas.

Some 271 structures were damaged or destroyed, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, citing official reports from flyovers conducted by the US Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department.

"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 the city.

Jarvi showed Reuters pictures he took of the ashen-coloured destruction along the Lahaina waterfront. Wearing shorts, he also showed blisters on his thigh that he said he suffered when riding through flames on his electric bike to save his dog.

Aerial video showed pillars of smoke rising from block after block of Lahaina, the largest tourist destination on Maui and home to multiple large hotels.

"It's like an area was bombed. It's like a war zone," said helicopter pilot Richard Olsten, according to Hawaii News Now.

With firefighters battling three major blazes, western Maui was closed to all but emergency workers and evacuees.

The fires, which started on Tuesday night, also scorched parts of the Big Island of Hawaii. The state said thousands of acres burned.

At least 4000 tourists were 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 operating fully and airlines were dropping fares and offering waivers to get people off the island, Sniffen said.

Panicked evacuees posted images on social media showing clouds of smoke billowing over once-idyllic beaches and palm trees.

"I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it. And I just ran out and helped everyone I could along the way," said Dustin Johnson, who was in Lahaina Harbour working for a charter boat company that offers two-hour tours. He spoke from Kahului Airport, normally a 25-minute drive east of Lahaina.

Some people were forced to jump into the Pacific Ocean to escape the smoke and fire conditions, prompting the US Coast Guard to rescue them, according to a Maui County press release.

Officials said they were looking into witness reports of people being trapped in their cars.

"Local people have lost everything. They've lost their house. They've lost their animals. It's devastating," said Jimmy Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

At least 20 people suffered serious burns and were airlifted to Oahu, Hawaii News Now reported, citing officials.

Evacuation efforts were complicated by power outages and disruption to cell phone service, as communication with the west side of Maui was only available via satellite, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said.

The situation in Hawaii recalled 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, and western Canada suffered unusually severe fires.

The White House issued a message of condolence from President Joe Biden, who praised the work of firefighters and ordered "all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response."

The National Guard, US Navy, Marines and Coast Guard were mobilised, while the US Department of Transportation aided evacuation efforts, Biden said.

The cause in Maui had yet to be determined but the National Weather Service said the fires were fuelled by a mix of dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity.

Officials said the winds from Hurricane Dora fanned the flames across the state. The storm was about 1380km southwest of Honolulu, the National Hurricane Centre said.

A weather service wind advisory remained in effect until Thursday morning.

© RAW 2023

Wildfires fanned by winds of a distant hurricane have killed at least six people and devastated much of the resort city Lahaina on Hawaii's Maui island, forcing thousands to evacuate as some fled into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames.

Multiple neighbourhoods were burnt to the ground as the western side of the island was almost cut off with only one highway open as officials told of widespread devastation to Lahaina, its harbour and surrounding areas.

Some 271 structures were damaged or destroyed, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported, citing official reports from flyovers conducted by the US Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department.

"We just had the worst disaster I've ever seen," said Lahaina resident Mason Jarvi, who escaped from the city.

"All of Lahaina is burnt to a crisp.

"It's like an apocalypse."

Jarvi showed Reuters pictures he took of the ashen-coloured destruction along the Lahaina waterfront.

Wearing shorts, he also showed blisters on his thigh that he said he suffered riding through flames on his electric bike to save his dog.

Aerial video showed pillars of smoke rising from block after block of Lahaina, the largest tourist destination on Maui and home to multiple large hotels.

"It's like an area was bombed," said helicopter pilot Richard Olsten, according to Hawaii News Now.

"It's like a war zone."

With firefighters battling three major blazes, western Maui was closed to all but emergency workers and evacuees.

The fires, which started Tuesday night, also scorched parts of the Big Island of Hawaii.

The state said thousands of acres burned.

At least 4000 tourists were trying to leave western Maui, said Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

Although at least 16 roads were closed, the Maui airport was operating fully and airlines were dropping fares and offering waivers to get people off the island, Sniffen said.

Panicked evacuees posted images on social media showing clouds of smoke billowing over once-idyllic beaches and palm trees.

"I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it and I just ran out and helped everyone I could along the way," said Dustin Johnson, who was in the harbour working for a charter boat company.

He spoke from Kahului Airport, normally a 25-minute drive east of Lahaina.

Some people were forced to jump into the Pacific Ocean to escape the smoke and fire conditions, prompting the US Coast Guard to rescue them, according to a Maui County press release.

Officials said they were looking into witness reports of people being trapped in their cars.

"Local people have lost everything," said Jimmy Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

"It's devastating."

At least 20 people suffered serious burns and were airlifted to Oahu, Hawaii News Now reported, citing officials.

Evacuation efforts were complicated by power outages and disruption to cell phone service, as communication with the west side of Maui was only available via satellite, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said.

"We have shelters that are overrun," Luke said.

"We have resources that are being taxed."

The White House issued a message of condolence from President Joe Biden, who praised the work of firefighters and ordered "all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response".

Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said US assistance had already been authorised.

The cause in Maui had yet to be determined but the National Weather Service said the fires were fuelled by a mix of dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity.

Officials said the winds from Hurricane Dora fanned the flames across the state.

The storm was about 1380 kilometres southwest of Honolulu as of 11am local time (2100 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said late on Wednesday the National Weather Service had cancelled the "Red Flag Warning" and "High Wind Advisory" for all Hawaiian islands.

© RAW 2023