Videos of wildfires in Maui show heartbreaking destruction and tragedy

Disturbing videos of the fires in Maui have surfaced on the internet after the news broke about the devastating damage on the island. Strong winds (up to 80 miles per hour) from Hurricane Dora fueled the fires, which spread so rapidly that some people were forced to jump into the harbor to avoid the flames.

The Coast Guard had to rescue several people from the water. In the video above, the first clip from business owner Alan Dickar shows businesses on the popular Front Street in the town of Lahaina, completely engulfed in flames. It is feared that the entire town has been burnt to the ground.

Follow the latest: Live | Maui wildfires reach Lahaina town

The fires have triggered explosions, power lines are down, and homes and buildings are being destroyed. Hawaii’s acting governor has issued an Emergency Proclamation as people are still being evacuated from the island. Alerts and updates can be found on the Maui County website. Currently, there is a Red Flag Warning in place for “critical fire weather conditions”.

The government issued this statement on Wednesday morning:

“Multiple evacuation orders are in place. Structure damages have occurred. The American Red Cross is staffing emergency shelters at Kihei Community Center, Lahaina Civic Center and in Pukalani at Hannibal Tavares Community Center. We ask that people stay safe look out for each other. One thing we want to make sure is that if you’re ordered to evacuate to evacuate, road closures are fast moving depending on the necessity of it as our fire crews and our police officers deem necessary in both locations of Upcountry and West Maui.”