Mayor Richard Bissen of Maui County says six fatalities have now been confirmed.

Officials are still in search-and-rescue mode he says, cautioning that the number of casualties could rise.

He adds that there have been 13 neighbourhood evacuations as a result of three fires burning on the island.

There have also been 16 road closures, and five shelters have been opened.

At least 2,628 customers are without power, he adds.

Maj Gen Kenneth S Hara is the overall incident commander for the state for the fires.

He says it is very difficult to know how many structures were damaged due to the wildfires, but adds that people are struggling with power outages and water.

Speaking at the ongoing press conference, he says safe spaces have been prepared for those fleeing from the fires.

The lieutenant governor adds that an emergency order has been signed, discouraging tourists from coming to Maui.

"We have shelters that are overrun, we have resources that are being taxed, we are doing whatever we can" for local residents, Sylvia Luke says.

State and local officials are "working day and night" to contain the situation and are co-ordinating their response with FEMA federal officials, she adds.

The governor, who has been travelling, is due back in the state at midnight local time.

"We have to stand for each other we have to be brave for each other," Luke says.

"It is with sadness, we are struck by the devastation felt by Maui."

Hawaii Lieutenant Governor (and acting state governor) Sylvia Luke kicks off the presser "with sadness and heartache" in the face of the fires.

She says that they did not expect that so much damage from a hurricane that did not land on the islands would cause such devastating wildfires, which she says have "wiped out communities", businesses and homes.

Luke expresses "sympathies and prayers" for the people of Maui, where some of the worst fires have been.

Sylvia Luke, Hawaii's lieutenant governor (and acting state governor) is speaking along with other top officials now. Stay tuned and we'll let you know what they say.

You can stream live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.

Hawaii state officials are about to host a briefing on the wildfires and the projected fire forecast.

We will bring you updates as they come in.

Hawaii governor Josh Green says "some loss of life is expected” despite the “heroic efforts” of the first responders as wildfires blaze on multiple islands on the archipelago.

In a statement, external from his office, Green says both Maui and the Big Island have been badly hit by the fires, and “much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced”.

The islands’ entire emergency response team, including the Hawaii National Guard, has been mobilised. Green has also been communicating with the White House as the local government prepares to request for more emergency assistance from Washington DC.

Green was outside the state for personal reasons and was initially scheduled to return on 15 August. He will instead be back in Hawaii later tonight to address the crisis, according to the statement.

Image source, EPA

The wildfires in Hawaii come after extreme weather in several other countries recently destroyed infrastructure and forced thousands of people to evacuate.

Greece experienced its worst July for wildfires on record, with Rhodes and Corfu both hit.

Canada has also had its worst wildfire season on record, with more than 25,000 acres (100,000 sq km) already burnt. This follows severe wildfires in Chile and Australia earlier in 2023.

Some regions - such as the western US - have seen an increase in the area burnt by wildfires in recent decades.

Scientists say climate change is making the weather conditions needed for wildfires to spread more likely.

The University of Hawaii has said large fires break out almost annually in some parts of the Hawaiian islands, but the scope of these fires is unusual.

Image source, Clint Hansen of Maui Real Estate Radio/TMX via REUTERS

It's just after 09:00 in Hawaii, where evacuations have been taking place as fierce wildfires continue to engulf parts of Maui and the Big Island.

Here are the latest developments:

• Funding has been granted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help people affected by the fires
• A number of burn victims were flown to hospitals on the island of Oahu, where Hawaii's capital of Honolulu is located, the Associated Press has reported

• Hospitals on Maui are currently overburdened with burn victims and people suffering from smoke inhalation, an official told CNN
• Hawaii state officials plan to hold a briefing at 10:00 local time
• The US Coast Guard has said it rescued some residents who jumped into the sea to escape the flames. The town of Lahaina is among the worst-affected places
• More than 14,000 homes are without power, according to PowerOutage.us

• Most public schools in Maui have been shut and four shelters have been set up for residents forced to flee their homes

Stick with us for the latest updates.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has authorised the use of federal funds in Hawaii to help people affected by fires.

"On August 8, the state of Hawaii submitted a request for a fire management assistance grant (FMAG)," Fema said in a statement, external.

The funding will be used to fight fires that threaten to become a greater incident, the statement adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Hawaii generally refers to the Hawaiian islands - an archipelago of eight volcanic islands and smaller islets in the northern Pacific Ocean.

The biggest islands are Big Island (also called the island of Hawaii) and Maui, both of which are tourist destinations and often referenced in popular culture. The famous volcano Mauna Loa is located on Hawaii island.

The US state of Hawaii comprises of nearly the entire archipelago.

The capital, Honolulu, has a population of about 350,000 people and is located on the island of Oahu.

Hawaii is more than 3,200 km (2,000 miles) away from the US mainland, and a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu takes around 5.5 hours.

Image source, .

The hospitals on the island of Maui are overwhelmed with burn patients and people suffering from smoke inhalation, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, who also issued an emergency proclamation, has said.

Speaking to CNN, Luke says "the reality is that we need to fly people out of Maui to give them burn support because Maui hospital cannot do extensive burn treatment".

According to local media service KHON2 News, emergency officials on the island of Oahu say they are treating three burn patients from Maui, who were flown in overnight. More patients are expected to be flown off Maui, officials say.

Luke adds there are also major transportation issues.

"911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down. The Maui County has not been able to communicate with residents on the west side, the Lahaina side,” Luke says.

On the island, satellite phones have been the only reliable way to get in touch with some people.

Nomia Iqbal
US reporter

Officials say fires in three areas on the island of Maui are "not contained in any fashion".

So how did this happen?

The blazes are thought to have been caused by dry conditions and worsened by powerful winds from the powerful Hurricane Dora.

The category four storm is passing hundreds of miles south of Hawaii - but is not expected to make landfall.

More on the fires that have spread through Lahaina on the island of Maui.

"Buildings on both sides were engulfed," Front Street business owner Alan Dickar told CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV.

"There were no fire trucks at that point; I think the fire department was overwhelmed."

Image source, Getty Images

Mass evacuations are underway in the town of Lahaina, on the island of Maui, as fierce wildfires continue to spread.

Eyewitnesses saw an “apocalyptic scene” unfold on Tuesday, as some residents jumped into the sea to avoid the flames, local media has reported.

"People are jumping into the water to avoid the fire," US Army Major General Kenneth Hara, the state adjutant general, tells Hawaii News Now.

"The Coast Guard is providing support as we speak," he adds.

The tourist town, which has a population of about 12,000, is one of several islands which make up the US state in the Pacific.

Videos shared online show fire burning through the area, with huge plumes of black smoke rising into the air.

A recent update from officials in Lahaina says residents are being evacuated in Launiupoko Estates and Punakea Loop.

The Coast Guard has said it rescued 12 people from the waters off Lahaina and it was sending other vessels to Maui.

Hawaiian officials have said they were also monitoring fires on the northern side of Big Island (also known as Hawaii island), which were threatening about 200 homes in and around the Kohala ranch – a community of more than 500 people.

The fire there has burnt at least 600 acres (243 hectares) of land, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS.

The fires are bringing back memories of 2021, when a major wildfire forced thousands to evacuate from the Big Island.

The wildfires are engulfing large swathes of Hawaii's Big Island and Maui in the archipelago - not unlike scenes we have seen across southern Europe and north Africa this summer.

Image source, TMX/Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, TMX/Reuters

Image source, Senator Tim Richards/Facebook

Fires have been reported across Hawaii’s two biggest islands: Maui and Big Island (the latter is also known as Hawaii island).

Here’s what’s been happening on Maui:

• Local media have written about "apocalyptic scenes" in the historic town of Lahaina, parts of which are said to have been destroyed or severely damaged by fire
• CBS - the BBC’s US partner - reports that several homes and businesses have been destroyed there.
• The US Coast Guard says it rescued 12 people who jumped into the sea to escape the blaze
• Hundreds of firefighters have been on duty battling the blaze and many roads are closed as officials in Maui issue evacutation orders to some residents
• Two thousand travellers have been sheltering in the island’s Kahului airport, according to the county of Maui's Facebook page

Marianna Brady
Live reporter

Hawaii is waking up to wildfires spurred by winds from Hurricane Dora.

The fires have prompted evacuations on Maui and the Big Island, and caused the destruction of homes and businesses.

I’m monitoring the latest situation in Washington DC - with James FitzGerald, Jack Burgess, Aoife Walsh, Ece Goksedef and Ali Abbas Ahmadi joining me from London.