At least 6 killed, 2 dozen injured in Maui wildfires

At least six people are dead from raging wildfires that ripped through the heart of Maui Wednesday and other parts of the Hawaiian island – forcing terrified residents to jump into the ocean to escape a fiery death.

Officials said at least two dozen others were injured after the fast-moving blaze quickly spread in Lahaina Town that included a popular tourist destination filled with shops and restaurants.

All roads in and out of West Maui’s largest community were blocked off to everyone but emergency services as photos posted overnight showed a line of flames erupting across an intersection and on top of historic buildings that date back to the 1700s.

Entire blocks of buildings were nothing more than ash as thick smoke bellowed in the air, aerial footage showed.

The Coast Guard rescued 12 adults and two children who fled into the ocean instead of facing down the ferocious flames and thick smoke, the County of Maui said in a statement.

It’s unclear how the six people died. County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said during a Wednesday press conference he just became aware of the six fatalities and didn’t know where the deaths happened on the island.

Six patients were airlifted from Maui to the island of Oahu Tuesday night, a regional director for Hawaii Life Flight said.

Three suffered critical burns and at least 20 patients were rushed to Maui Memorial Medical Center, he said.

A firefighter suffered smoke inhalation, but was in stable condition at the hospital, authorities said.

The flames are being fanned by the remnants of Hurricane Dora, which was passing through 500 miles south but was bringing gusts of 60 mph to the island, the National Weather Service said.

Crews on Maui were fighting fires in the tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region.

It’s unknown how many structures were burned, but several shelters welcomed more than 2,100 people with more than 1,000 huddling at the largest one, Maui County spokesperson Mahina Martin said.

Kahului Airport housed 2,000 stranded travelers whose flights were canceled or who recently reached the island, the county said.

A state of emergency was declared by Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke, who is in charge while Gov. Josh Green is traveling.

The fire has already raced through more than 600 acres and was still spreading.

“It’s definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it’s multiple fires, multiple evacuations in different district areas,” Martin said Tuesday. “This is so unprecedented. Right now it is all-hands-on-deck and we are anxious for daybreak.”

Alan Dickar, the owner of Vintage European Posters, said he escaped with three friends and two cats. He also assumed the three houses he owns are also destroyed.

“Every significant thing I owned burned down today,” he said. “I’ll be OK. I got out safely.”

Tiare Lawrence was sheltering 14 cousins and uncles who fled Lahaina, who told her “it was apocalyptic.”

“The heat. Smoke and flames everywhere. They had to get my elderly uncle out of the home,” she said as she was still trying to reach her siblings.

Maui wasn’t the only island dealing with blazes, though not as severe.

Three wildfires burning on Hawaii’s Big Island have not destroyed any homes or led to any injuries, Mayor Mitch Roth said.

One fire is “pretty much under control,” and another is 60% contained, he said. 

With Post wires