Six people have been killed and others have sought refuge in the ocean as wildfires continue to devastate parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui.
At least two dozen people have been injured.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Hawaiian town ‘absolutely devastated’ as homes and businesses destroyed by wildfires.
Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>
About 14 people have been rescued from the flames in Lahaina Town, mayor Richard Bissen Jr said on Wednesday.
The fire was widespread in Lahaina Town, a popular shopping and dining area, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said.
Aerial video revealed entire blocks of buildings reduced to ash and thick smoke in the air.
In addition to six deaths, at least two dozen people were injured including several who were flown to Honolulu for treatment.
Crews on Maui were battling multiple blazes concentrated in two areas: the tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region.
Woman reels in $1.6 million catch while fishing
Dog on golf cart runs over four-year-old girl at festival
Hurricane Dora — which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 805km — was partly to blame for gusts above 97km/h that knocked out power, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters, the National Weather Service said.
Aircraft resumed flights on Wednesday as the strong winds diminished somewhat.
The Coast Guard rescued 14 people including two children who had fled into the ocean to escape the fire and smoky conditions.
There was no count available for the number of structures that have burned or the number of people who have evacuated.
Fires continue to devastated Maui and other parts of Hawaii. Credit: AP
About 2000 travellers, whose flights were cancelled or who recently arrived on the island, are sheltering in Kahului Airport, the main airport in Maui.
Fires are also burning on Hawaii’s Big Island but there have been no reports of injuries or homes lost, Mayor Mitch Roth said on Wednesday.
Fires in Hawaii tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than mainland fires.
A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate.
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings.
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
