At least 36 people are confirmed to have died after wildfire ripped through an area of Maui.

Thousands were forced to flee, and early reports say more than 270 homes and other buildings were destroyed in the historic town of Kahaina.

It’s believed the fire was sparked on a hillside and quickly spread, fueled by high winds from hurricane Dora.

President Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening that he has ordered “all available Federal assets” to help combat wildfires that have devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui and that the Transportation Department is working with commercial airlines to evacuate tourists from the island, while the Interior and Agriculture departments “stand ready to support post fire recovery efforts.”

With the airport closed, hundreds were left stranded.

Air Canada sent a plane down out of Vancouver last night to help get travellers home.