People have been seen fleeing into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames
At least 36 people have been killed by wildfires fanned by winds of a distant hurricane in Hawaii.
The flames devastated much of the resort city Lahaina on Hawaii’s Maui island on Wednesday, forcing thousands to evacuate.
The US Coast Guard rescued a dozen people from waters off the historic town in northwestern Maui which is popular with tourists, 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.”