As crews continued to battle a series of deadly wildfires that left at least 36 people dead and dozens injured on the Hawaiian island of Maui, satellite images captured Wednesday show the extent of the devastation.

Massive blazes broke out and spread rapidly on Maui and the Big Island earlier this week, as strong winds generated by Hurricane Dora — a distant Category 4 hurricane traveling across the Pacific hundreds of miles south of the island chain — and dry conditions on land created an environment where wildfires can ignite and grow more easily, according to the National Weather Service. Officials said Wednesday that the exact cause of the fires was still unknown.

The West Maui town of Lahaina, a popular tourist destination and commercial hub with a long and rich cultural history, was hit especially hard by the fires. Aerial video footage and satellite images captured by Maxar Technologies offered a harrowing look at the destruction. 

Side-by-side images of Lahaina, taken before the blaze and on Wednesday, showed the once lush area badly burned, with the harbor and building rooftops along the shoreline appearing visibly charred. 

People dove into the water at Lahaina Harbor while trying to escape the smoke and encroaching flames on Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed later that crews rescued 14 people from the harbor, all of whom were reported to be stable.

As wind and heavy smoke that previously grounded National Guard helicopters abated somewhat on Wednesday afternoon, flyovers by the U.S. Civil Air Patrol and the Maui Fire Department showed more than 271 structures were damaged, Maui County officials said in a news release. As the release noted, damage was "widespread" in West Maui, where Lahaina is located.

One Lahaina resident, Kekoa Lansford, told CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV that Front Street, a central part of the town with a high concentration of businesses, is "completely burned."

He said the decimation on Maui is a "nationwide issue at this point. ... We need help. A lot of help. We got to get people down here. We need funds allocated for fixing our home(s). We are out here working."

The wildfires destroyed communities in Lahaina and inland in Maui's Upcountry region, and spread Wednesday along the island's southwestern coast near Kihei. Maui fire officials reported no significant changes to wildfires in those three areas on Wednesday afternoon.

"On behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard, I wish to convey my sincere condolences to the communities who have been tragically affected by the fires in Maui," said Capt. Aja L. Kirksey, Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, in a statement. "Our collaboration with partner agencies and neighboring jurisdictions remains steadfast, as we unite our resources, knowledge, and equipment to ensure responder and public safety and amplify the impact of our response efforts."

Thousands of people were evacuated from impacted areas this week while travelers slept in the Kahului Airport. State Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi announced Wednesday they are preparing for the potential loss of an elementary school in Lahaina that has existed for more than 100 years, and a team is working to develop contingency plans.

Hawaiian Airlines continued to operate flights into and out of Maui's Kahului Airport on Wednesday night "in support of essential travel" and "coordinating with the state, county and nonprofits to transport first responders, equipment and supplies to Maui," the airline said.

Public health officials said that Maui Memorial Medical Center said has been treating patients since Tuesday night for burns, smoke inhalation and other fire-related injuries as a result of the blazes. 

"As of this afternoon, all patients have been cared for; five have been admitted, including two for critical injuries. Additionally, since last night, seven patients have been transferred to Oahu for specialty services, including some fire-related injuries. All other patients have been treated and released," Maui Health said in a statement Wednesday.

Maui officials are expected to share another update on their response to the wildfires on Thursday morning.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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• Wildfire
• Hawaii