Lahania: In the midst of the death toll rising to at least 53 and survivors recounting terrifying tales of narrow escapes with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, a search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of destroyed neighbourhoods and landmarks that were charred beyond recognition.

An aerial view of the historic Lahaina neighbourhood revealed entire communities that had once been a riot of colour and island life reduced to grey ash. Rubble and blackened foundations covered block after block, including along Front Street, where tourists had been dining and shopping only a few days earlier. The town, which dates back to the 1700s and is the largest community on the island's west side, had smoke hanging over it and scorched boats in the harbour.

In most cases, Lahaina has been destroyed by fire, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green, who spoke to The Associated Press. He claimed that still-burning fires had destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

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According to Green, the number of fatalities will probably increase as search and rescue efforts go on. Officials anticipate it to surpass the Big Island tsunami of 1961 as the state's deadliest natural disaster.

One of the town's oldest stores, Tiffany Kidder Winn's gift shop Whaler's Locker, was among the many establishments that were destroyed. She discovered a row of burned-out vehicles, some of which had charred bodies inside of them, as she surveyed the damage on Thursday.

They appeared to be trying to leave, but were unable to leave Front Street due to traffic, she observed. Later, she noticed a body propped up against a seawall.

Because of how widespread the damage was, Winn claimed, "I couldn't even tell where I was because all the landmarks were gone."

The fire started on Tuesday and caught Maui off guard, fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane. It raced through the island's parched vegetation before feasting on houses and anything else that stood in its way.

As of late Wednesday, 36 people had officially died, making it the deadliest US wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which destroyed the town of Paradise and claimed at least 85 lives. However, as rescuers access areas of the island that had been inaccessible because of the three active fires, including the one in Lahaina that was 80 percent contained on Thursday, according to a Maui County news release, the death toll in Hawaii could increase. Numerous people have been hurt, some seriously, and over 270 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

"We are still trying to preserve life. According to Adam Weintraub, a spokesperson for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, search and rescue is still a top priority.

Until the fire lines are secure and they are confident they can reach those areas safely, search and rescue teams won't be able to access some areas. Weintraub threw in.

Some people had only a few minutes to act before the flames forced them to run into the water. Bosco Bae, a resident of Lahaina, posted a video on Facebook from Tuesday night that showed almost every building on a street engulfed in flames as sirens wailed and flying sparks raced by. Bae, who claimed to be among the last residents to leave the town, was taken to the island's main airport where he was holding out for permission to fly back home.

Marlon Vasquez, a Guatemalan cook who arrived in the US in January 2022 at the age of 31, claimed that by the time he heard the fire alarms, it was already too late for him to escape in his car.

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From an evacuation centre in a gymnasium, he told The Associated Press on Thursday, "I opened the door and the fire was almost on top of us." "We kept running. We practically never stopped moving because of the fire, which persisted into the following day.

Vasquez and his brother Eduardo managed to escape on foot through the jam-packed streets. He vomited because the smoke was so poisonous. His roommates and neighbours might not have made it to safety, he claimed.

Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso, two residents of Lahaina, described their terrifying escape from the smoke-filled skies. After a quick trip to the grocery store for water, the couple and their 6-year-old son returned to their flat, but they barely had time to change before the bushes around them started to burn.

Kawaakoa, 34, said in an evacuation shelter, "We barely made it out," not knowing if their flat had any remaining possessions. When the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility across the street caught fire, the family fled and dialled 911.

The family doesn't know if Louise Abihai, Chelsey Vierra's grandmother, left Hale Mahaolu where she was residing. She is without a phone. Her age is 97, Vierra said on Thursday. She is mobile. She is powerful.

Relatives are calling the hospital and keeping an eye on shelter waiting lists. Vierra, who had fled the flames, said, "We got to find our loved one, but there's no communication here." "We have no idea who to ask about her whereabouts."

On the island, communications have been sporadic, with 911, landline, and cellular service occasionally failing. Maui's power was also out in some areas.

According to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director, tourists were advised to avoid the area, and about 11,000 left Maui by plane on Wednesday, with another at least 1,500 expected to depart on Thursday. To accommodate the thousands of displaced people, authorities in Honolulu prepared the Hawaii Convention Centre.

Wide swaths of the ground in coastal Kihei, southeast of Lahaina, glowed red with embers on Wednesday night as flames continued to consume trees and structures. A black and orange patchwork of burned earth and still-crackling hot spots was covered in sparks by blustery winds.

Strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which passed far to the south, fanned the fires. It is the most recent in a string of catastrophes brought on by extreme weather this summer. According to experts, the likelihood of these events is rising due to climate change.

In Hawaii, wildfires are not uncommon, but Thomas Smith, an associate professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science, noted that the recent weather in Hawaii provided the perfect conditions for a devastating fire, and that once it started, the strong winds exacerbated the disaster.

Mayor Mitch Roth stated that there have been fires on Hawaii's Big Island as well, but no injuries or homes have been reported.

It was challenging for many people to check in with friends and family because communications were hindered. On social media, some people were writing messages. For those looking for the missing, Maui officials opened a Family Assistance Centre at the Kahului Community Centre.

The Hawaii State Department of Defense's Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara told reporters on Wednesday night that efforts were being made to restore communications, distribute water, and perhaps even add law enforcement personnel. He claimed that 150,000 gallons (568,000 litres) of water had been dropped on the fires by National Guard helicopters.

According to the Coast Guard, it saved 14 people who dove into the water to get away from the fire and smoke.

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Richard Bissen Jr., the mayor of Maui County, said on Wednesday that officials hadn't yet started looking into the immediate cause of the fires.

Joe Biden, the president, declared a significant disaster on Maui. He promised that the federal response will make sure that "anyone who's lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed is going to get help immediately" while travelling in Utah on Thursday. While claiming that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was "surging emergency personnel" on the island, Biden pledged to streamline requests for assistance.