Travel Nightmare: Resorts in tropical paradise left without power

Six people have been confirmed killed in the raging wildfires that have decimated entire Maui communities, according to news reports, but authorities fear that number could rise as flames are slowly beaten down and emergency responders are able to move in.

At least 20 people sustained serious injuries, thousands of people are displaced, Hawaii News Now reported on August 9, and the county's emergency response is near a breaking point.

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Officials are evacuating locals and visitors from several areas of Maui and the Big Island due to wind-driven wildfires that reportedly drove people to jump into the ocean to escape the flames and smoke.

Non-essential travel to Maui 'strongly discouraged' amid wildfires

Maui county officials issued a new emergency order on Aug. 9, "strongly discouraging" non-essential travel to the island.

Power outages are widespread, and several resorts on Maui are without power, including the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, according to airline industry website Points Guy.

Fire was widespread in Lahaina, a tourist town with a population of 12,000 on the northwestern tip of Maui. Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling and was expected to be back in the state Wednesday night, said in a statement that much of the town "has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced," CBS News reported.

The Coast Guard told CBS News it had rescued a dozen people in the town of Lahaina who turned to the water as refuge Tuesday and officials said hospitals on the island were treating burn patients.

Maui County tweeted that multiple roads were closed with a warning: "Do NOT go to Lahaina town."

Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate and officials asked people who weren't in an evacuation area to shelter in place to avoid adding to the traffic, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin told the Associated Press in a phone interview early Wednesday.

Officials issued an island-wide request Wednesday morning for people to conserve water to reduce demand and extend existing supplies as firefighters battled the blazes.

Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke told CNN that the hospital system on the island "was overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalation."

Luke did not provide any figures on the number of injured but said "the reality is that we need to fly people out of Maui to give them burn support."

The wildfires – fueled in part by Hurricane Dora churning some 800 miles away – have cut off 911 service and other communications in many parts of Maui.

911, cell and phone service all down, locals report

"911 is down," Luke said. "Cell service is down. Phone service is down. And that's been part of the problem."

The infernos have knocked out cell service, hindered emergency communications and trapped residents and tourists on the island that is home to about 117,000 people.

"Local people have lost everything," said James Kunane Tokioka, the state's business, economic development and tourism director, at the news conference. "They've lost their house, they've lost their animals and it's devastating."

"We never anticipated in this state that a hurricane which did not make impact on our islands, will cause this type of wildfires," Luke told reporters. "Wildfires that wiped out communities, wildfires that wiped out businesses, wildfires that destroyed homes."

You can see how people are escaping from the water to escape the fires that are flooding Maui.