It is confirmed that at least six people have died in fires engulfing Maui.."Fires killed six people on the island of Maui," County of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said during a Wednesday morning news conference..He said he had just learned the news and didn't know the details of how or where on the island the deaths happened..Officials also say there have been multiple reports of injuries, however, it is unclear at this time what the exact count of these injuries is..Hospitals reported they had been overwhelmed with people suffering burns and smoke inhalation, 911 services were down and cell service is also disrupted..Wildfires burned across the Hawaiian island of Maui on Wednesday, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, prompting evacuations across the island..The US Coast Guard said it rescued people from the ocean near Lahaina Town, Maui, as they went into the water to escape a fast-moving fire..The historic downtown area surrounding Front Street in Lahaina was partly destroyed, according to Hawaii News Now and other reports.."Eyewitnesses described an apocalyptic scene Tuesday in Lahaina Town, where residents were forced to jump into the harbour waters to avoid fast-moving flames from a massive brush fire that’s destroyed much of the historic area — and continues to burn," Hawaii News Now said.."Residents say an overwhelmed fire force — fighting flames all day amid powerful winds — could do little as flames ripped through the historic community, destroying dozens of homes and businesses in what onlookers believe is the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Iniki.".Acting Gov., Sylvia Luke, issued an emergency proclamation Tuesday that said the fires had burned “hundreds” of acres and forced a number of schools and roads to close..Luke, who is acting on behalf of Governor Josh Green, M.D., authorized the Hawaii National Guard to aid authorities with disaster relief..Officials confirmed to Hawaii News Now that the US Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and boat to Front Street Beach and the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor to rescue a number of people from the water..“We are closely following the wildfires caused by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora,” Luke said in a news release..“The safety of our residents is paramount, and this emergency proclamation will activate the Hawaiʻi National Guard to support emergency responders in the impacted communities.”.Luke said Governor Green has been fully briefed on Hurricane Dora and its impacts..“Lieutenant Governor Luke has my full support,” said Green..“My thoughts are with the residents and businesses affected by Hurricane Dora.".The emergency proclamation authorizes several actions, including activation of the National Guard, authorizes appropriate actions by the director of the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and the Administrator of Emergency Management, as well as the expenditure of state general revenue funds for relief of conditions created by Hurricane Dora..The Honolulu National Weather Service shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday night telling residents to prepare for winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour and gusts up to 60 miles per hour. (48 kph, 65 kph and 97 kph, respectively.).“Secure property, expected outages & difficult travel,” the agency wrote..The strong winds stalled firefighters and prevented helicopters from successfully dumping water onto the flames, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin told the Associated Press on Tuesday..The American Red Cross posted Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter) that a number of shelters are open across the state to help those who have been affected by the fires and winds.
