State of emergency declared as responders battle blazes whipped up by hurricane winds
People on the Hawaiian island of Maui were forced to jump into the ocean to avoid “apocalyptic” wildfires that are being fanned by hurricane winds.
The US Coast Guard rescued a dozen people from waters off Lahaina, a historic town popular with tourists in northwestern Maui, as they attempted to flee from smoke and flames.
“People are jumping into the water to avoid the fire,” US Army Major General Kenneth Hara told Hawaii News Now. “The Coast Guard is providing support as we speak.”
The fire has burned through hundreds of acres and crippled phone lines, hampering the emergency services, but it remains unclear how many people have been affected.