Hawaiians dive into the sea to escape 'apocalyptic' wildfires

Wildfires have reached Front Street, a popular tourist attraction in downtown Laihan. Credit: ALAN DICKAR/AP

Maui's Hawaiian Islanders were forced to jump into the ocean to escape 'apocalyptic' wildfires fanned by hurricane-force winds.

The US Coast Guard rescued a dozen people from water off Lahaina, a historic a town popular with tourists in northwest Maui as they tried to escape the smoke and flames.

“People are jumping into the water to avoid fire,” U.S. Army Major General Kenneth Hara told Hawaii News Now. «The Coast Guard is providing support as we speak.»

The fire has engulfed hundreds of acres and damaged telephone lines, hampering emergency services, but it remains unclear how many people have been affected.

Currently At the same time, huge evacuation efforts are underway, and rescue teams are working to burn the planes. casualties near the island of Maui, as its hospitals are overcrowded.

Emergency and rescue services are fighting wildfires that are fanned by gale-force winds. Photo: MATTHEW THAYER/THE MAUI NEWS. forced evacuations and school closures.

Footage has surfaced on social media showing large flames and plumes of smoke on the beach, lighting up the dark sky in shades of deep orange and red. Debris floating in the water also appeared to be on fire.

Other footage shows people driving through thick smoke as flames several feet high engulfed tall buildings across the city.

“All hands on deck,”

Mahina Martin, Maui County spokeswoman, said: «This is so unprecedented.< /p>

«Everyone is now on deck and we are looking forward to the dawn.»

Those not in the evacuation zone are asked to take cover in place so as not to add she added, «big traffic jams.»Flames and columns of smoke lit up the dark sky over the island of Maui. Photo: ZIK KALUA/COUNTY OF MAUI VIA AP

Resident Clint Hansen said the city of Lahaina was 'devastated'.

» People jump into the ocean to escape the fire, rescued by the Coast Guard. All boat owners are asked to save people. It's the apocalypse,» he told CNN.

Dangerous fire conditions

The US National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for wind gusts in excess of 60 mph that cut power, shook homes, and stopped fire helicopters as night fell.

Hawaii declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to fight the flames.

Satellite imagery of the island chain showed smoke drifting west from the sites of two wildfires. /CIRA & NOAA)/REUTERS

Sylvia Luke, the state's lieutenant governor, told CNN that the hospital system on the island of Maui «was overburdened with burn patients and people suffering from [smoke] inhalation.»

She said: “The reality is that we need to get people out of Maui to provide them with emergency support.”

“The emergency service is not working. Cellular is not working. The telephone connection is not working. And that was part of the problem,” she added.