Maui fires: Sunseekers post devastating footage of paradise in Hawaii before ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires force them to flee

Sun worshipers are posting devastating images showing the paradise of Hawaii before apocalyptic wildfires forced sun worshipers and locals alike to flee the Maui area.

Several people are feared dead as winds from Hurricane Dora continue to fan the fires for a second day on Wednesday.

The wildfires started on Tuesday and have since destroyed hundreds of homes and structures, as well as prompting power outages and evacuations.

Now, those who saw the scene firsthand have shared harrowing images of the situation.

TikTok user Colton Moore shared a video showing how his and his wife’s idyllic vacation turned terrifying.

“Went from paradise to natural crisis hope everyone stays safe,” he captioned the post, which has been viewed more than 200,000 times.

The couple are then seen leaving the area, as the vacation comes to an unfortunate end.

“Went from paradise to natural crisis hope everyone stays safe,” he captioned the post, which has been viewed more than 200,000 times.

The beginning of the video shows the couple hanging out by the calm water; Moore’s camera even goes underwater to show off the corals and fish they could see.

The video continues to show the fabulous meals the couple had before jumping to a clip taken at the first location shown, except the scene is no longer calm as huge flames engulf the area and the sky fills with black smoke.

The couple are then seen leaving the area, as the vacation comes to an unfortunate end.

Another TikTok user who goes by pettypurvis shared a video that first shows people happily surfing before it cuts off in the same burning body of water.

The fires have burned structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities.

The worst of the fires is on Maui. One is burning down parts of north Wailea where tourist hotels like the Four Seasons and the Hilton dot the beach, and another has destroyed the town of Lahaina.

A worker at the Four Seasons Wailea told DailyMail.com that the resort has not been affected, apart from “some air quality issues”.

The $990-a-night hotel is where the first season of The White Lotus was filmed.

In Lahaina, a city of about 12,000, desperate locals jumped into the water at the harbor to escape the flames. Twelve people were rescued from the waves by boats.

Kahului Airport, the main airport on the island of Hawaii, is still open and operational, but is now used as a shelter for 1,800 people fleeing their homes.

Another TikTok user who goes by pettypurvis shared a video that first shows people happily surfing before it cuts out in the same body of water engulfed in flames.

911 services in most of Maui are offline due to downed cell phone towers, hampering evacuation efforts as doctors and nurses struggle to cope with the number of burn victims flocking to it.

Acting Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of traveling Governor Josh Green and activated the Hawaii National Guard.

Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple fires concentrated in two areas: the popular West Maui tourist destination and a mountainous inland region.

Images taken from a yacht at Lahaina Mooring Field on Maui show bruised skies as huge plumes of smoke rise from the fires.

The video also shows fires in a residential area on Maui surrounded by grasslands with black smoke billowing into the sky. It was not immediately known how many buildings had burned, Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said in a phone interview Tuesday night.

The fires have burned structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities

There are several small fires on the Big Island and O’Ahu, but the worst is being seen on Maui, where some 12,000 people are without power and hospitals are overwhelmed.

Hurricane Dora passed south of Hawaii overnight Tuesday but sent strong winds toward the islands.

Locals fear that the fire has taken away a large part of the city of Lahaina, if not all of it.

“It’s definitely one of the most challenging days for our island as there are multiple fires, multiple evacuations in different areas of the district,” Martin said.

Winds of 80 mph were reported inland Maui and a fire believed to be contained early Tuesday broke out hours later in the high winds, it added.

Some 13,000 customers on Maui lost power, Hawaiian Electric reported Tuesday night.

Hurricane Dora was making things difficult for firefighters in an already dry season.

Hawaii sits between high pressure to the north and a low pressure system associated with Dora, said Jeff Powell, a Honolulu meteorologist.

The dryness and gusts “create a dangerous fire situation, so the fires that do exist can spread out of control very quickly,” he said.

“It’s a little bit due to Hurricane Dora, but it’s not a direct result,” he said, calling the fires a “peripheral result” of the hurricane’s winds.