Hawaii Residents Forced to Jump Into Water as Fire Engulfs Town

Wildfires in Hawaii exacerbated by hurricane winds have spread across at least two islands, burning buildings and leading to the evacuation of residents, including some who jumped into the ocean to escape the flames.

The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora—which had been passing the archipelago at a safe distance—was likely responsible for the strong gusts of up to 60 miles an hour, which not only helped spread the fire but also caused power outages and grounded firefighting helicopters.

Fire crews have been battling multiple bush blazes on the island of Maui, concentrated in the western region popular with tourists and an inland, mountainous region. Fires on the island of Hawaii, to the southeast of Maui, have also been recorded.

The fires in Hawaii come amid a spate of heat wave-induced wildfires that have spread across the southwest United States and have been wreaking havoc in Europe and Canada. Early in August, an 80,000-acre wildfire spread across California and Nevada, and in late June a wildfire near Phoenix took hold of nearly 2,000 acres and led to the evacuation of over 1,000 residents.

Several states in the southwest have been regularly experiencing temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts have said that climate change was contributing to the hot, dry conditions that made wildfires more likely.

Late on Tuesday, Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, acting on behalf of Governor John Green while he is away, issued an emergency proclamation, activating the National Guard and authorizing the use of relief funds. "The safety of our residents is paramount," Luke said.

Videos from Maui posted on social media show fierce gales whipping up smoke and debris, with the American Red Cross establishing an evacuation center on Tuesday evening for those fleeing the flames.

One local resident reported that in Lahaina, a coastal resort town on the western side of the island, people were jumping in the water to escape the fast-moving fire, describing it as "insane."

The U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii later confirmed that a 45-foot response boat had successfully rescued 12 people from the waters off Lahaina.

In a statement, the Coast Guard it said another cutter was en route to Maui to assist in the rescue efforts, with a cutter and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter already dispatched to the seafront in Lahaina.

In an update on Tuesday evening, County of Maui officials said: "The Coast Guard has been responding to impacted areas where residents are entering the ocean due to smoke and fire conditions. Individuals were transported by the Coast Guard to safe areas."

It is unclear whether any of those rescued from the sea required medical attention. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard and the County of Maui via email for comment on Wednesday.

Earlier in the afternoon, Maui County said that "multiple structures have burned and multiple evacuations are in place, as firefighter crews continue battling brush and structure fires."

It added that the Honoapiilani Highway, the main route along the Maui coast through Lahaina, was reopened at 5 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) after it was temporarily closed due to downed power lines. It is now being used for outbound traffic only to assist evacuation efforts.

"We were staying in Lahaina Luna road and had to run for cover—I can't believe we made it," musician Kaveh Rastegar posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"I finally heard from my daughter. She evacuated to Kahului, still on the Honoapiilani [highway], many structure burned above Lahaina around the bypass," another X user wrote, adding: "Her house burned."

In the inland affected regions, early-morning evacuations took place in a number of residential streets. County officials said the fire there had spread across around 1,000 acres as of Tuesday afternoon.

Maui County noted on Tuesday evening that while damage to structures had been recorded, "no details on the extent [of the] damages are available" as yet. It also said one firefighter battling the wildfire to the west of the island had been hospitalized in a stable condition due to smoke inhalation.