Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned structures in areas including the historic town of Lahaina, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities. Rescuers pulled a dozen people from the ocean after they dived in to escape the smoke and flames; the coastguard tweeted that a crew rescued 12 people from the water off Lahaina.
A firefighter responding to the West Maui fire was taken to hospital after experiencing smoke inhalation and was in stable condition, Maui county said. Hospitals are inundated with smoke inhalation and burn victims.
Because of the wind, helicopters were not able to dump water on the fires from the sky or gauge more precise fire sizes. Firefighters encountered roads blocked by downed trees and power lines as they worked the inland fires.