U.S. Coast Guard officials pulled at least a dozen people from the sea as rescuers were overwhelmed by what appeared to have struck almost out of nowhere.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said at a news conference, "It is unfortunate that six people were confirmed dead just before this issue began."
"We're still in search and rescue mode, so we don't know what this number will be." Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke declared a state of emergency and told CNN that Maui's hospital system was "overwhelmed with burns and inhalers."
"911 is down. Cellular service is down." Phone service is down," she said. Governor Josh Green said Lahaina, a tourist town of 12,000 on the northwestern tip of Maui, is in ruins. "Large parts of Lahaina, Maui have been destroyed, and hundreds of Indigenous families have been displaced," Green said.
Videos posted on social media showed flames tearing through the center of the beach town, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air.
"People jump into the water to avoid fires," Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara told Hawaii News Now. The Coast Guard said it had "successfully rescued 12 people from the waters off Lahaina" and said it would send more ships to Maui.
Dozens killed as wildfire burns historic Hawaii town to the ground
Hara said the helicopter could not be used for rescue or firefighting due to strong winds.
Lahaina resident Claire Kent said she witnessed her neighborhood burn to the ground less than an hour after she fled. "The flames blazed through the end of the quarter," she told CNN.
"I was tired... When you turn around as you drive onto the highway, you see cars on both sides of the road on fire and people stuck in traffic trying to escape," Kent said, referring to the dangerous scene as a "horror movie."
"It's true that people didn't come out," she said, adding that the homeless and those without access to cars appeared to be trapped in the city.
"Fire and Water"
Kent said power and cell phone service were cut off on Tuesday, but she didn't feel imminent danger until a sudden change in wind caused her to panic.
"It was all word of mouth, like people running down the street and saying 'get out'. 'There were guys on bicycles yelling to get out.'
Those who managed to escape had to worry about their loved ones being missing. "I still don't know where my brother is," Tiare Lawrence told Hawaii News Now. "I don't know where my stepfather is. "Everyone I know in Lahaina had their homes burned," Lawrence said.
Chrissy Robbitt told the outlet that all the boats in Lahaina Harbor had burned down. "It's like a war movie," Robbitt said. "The water was burning because of the fuel in the water."
Surf school principal Elizabeth Smith said she was safe in the interior of Kula but worried about staff and their families in Lahaina. "I know one couple was able to evacuate, but I don't know about the others," she told AFP by phone.
“Communication with the people of Lahaina is still very limited,” she said. Lt. Gov. Luke said dry conditions and strong winds from Hurricane Dora caused the fires. Hurricane Dora is hundreds of miles south of the island, making landfall unlikely.
She said the fires burned hundreds of acres of land and were being fanned by winds of 130 mph. Ten Maui public schools closed Wednesday, while state officials and the American Red Cross opened shelters for residents.
More than 14,000 people on Maui lost power, according to the tracking website poweroutage.us. Smith, the principal of a surfing school, said a very dry summer appeared to have spread the fires particularly widely.
"I don't want to be dramatic, but I don't think anything like this has ever happened on Maui," she said. "It's unusual for so many areas to be affected by the fires, and the fires have spread all over the island."