The typically lush, tropical landscape of Hawaii’s Maui island has been looking a bit more charred this week as wildfires continue to sweep through the region, destroying upwards of 14,000 homes and businesses, forcing evacuations, and causing some very apocalyptic scenes.


Fueled by winds from Hurricane Dora, the flames have engulfed several swaths of the island, including destroying the popular tourist destination of Lahaina.



“So basically the entire island is on fire,” @shaylamaddox, a Maui-based artist, captioned a harrowing video of the beloved town largely reduced to smoke and ash, noting that “apartments and stores have burned down.”



For Hawaii influencer @HawaiiDelilah, this destruction hits painfully close to home.


“If you've been to my hometown of Lahaina...I fear it is no longer,” they wrote on Twitter, adding that they “dread what it will look like in the morning.”


“An apocalyptic scene is unfolding due to the fires raging across my island,” they continued. “Please pray for us.”



But even with these prayers, Maui residents may have some trouble contacting their loved ones or reaching emergency services, for that matter, as “911,” “cell service” and “phone service” are all down as of Wednesday morning, according to Sylvia Luke, the state’s Lieutenant Governor.


With few resources and an overwhelmed medical capacities — “Our hospital system on Maui, they are overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalation,” Luke told CNN — some islanders have taken more unconventional means to escape the inferno.


@moetok8 #flood #mothernature #disaster #tornado #fire #movies #maui #foryou #2023 #emergency #apocalypse #scary #wildfire ♬ original sound - MoeTok


“People jumping in the ocean to escape the flames, being rescued by the Coast Guard,” videographer Clint Hansen described of the “apocalyptic” scene. “All boat owners are being asked to rescue people.”


We can only hope that firefighters can get the blaze under control.