Six people died as a result of the wildfires ravaging several regions of Hawaii, Maui Mayor Mitch Roth reported Wednesday.

In addition, 20 are seriously injured after a devastating fire devastated the city of Lahaina as 4,000 tourists desperately tried to leave the American island.

CNN reported that the wildfires on Maui are so catastrophic that Hawaiians jump into the sea to escape the flames.

“It was confirmed that we’ve had six fatalities that we’ve been able to count and we’re still conducting search and rescue operations, so we don’t know what will happen to that number,” Roth said at a news conference.

Thousands of Hawaiians are without power and the fires continue. Overnight, the fires toppled cell phone towers, knocked out 911 services, and made it impossible for many residents to access the internet or communicate.

Apparently, Hurricane Dora is fanning flames in several parts of the islands of Maui and Hawaii, in the Hawaiian archipelago. Extensive wildfires have caused extensive damage and evacuations on the islands.

The National Weather Service has announced that Dora, which is “far south” of the Hawaiian Islands, is generating strong winds that are exacerbating the fires.

Strong winds and low humidity, conditions conducive to fires, are forecast to continue this afternoon.

Evacuation and suspension of flights

Through its website, Maui County announced the evacuation alert during the early hours of Wednesday morning and informed of the shelters where people can go with their families and pets.

It also closed all roads in the affected areas, which can only be used by emergency services.

The largest blaze began to spread Tuesday in the city of Lahaina, one of the most popular tourist spots, forcing many residents to take shelter in the ocean to escape the flames and smoke. They were later rescued by the Coast Guard.

The fires also hit Kula, another part of Maui, and the Kohala Peninsula on the island of Hawaii.

Six flights to Maui have been canceled in the past twenty-four hours, and some airlines have allowed passengers to change their flight to the island.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation said Kahului Airport would remain open to those wanting to leave Maui and reported that the airport grounds were hosting 1,800 travelers Tuesday night due to the closure of many highways.

On Tuesday, Governor Sylvia Luke activated the Hawaii National Guard to assist with evacuation and disaster relief efforts and declared a period of emergency response through Aug. 15.