Dozens of people have died and thousands have been told to evacuate their homes after fast-spreading wildfires caused devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

The worst hit area has been Lahaina, the beach-front town popular with tourists, where entire neighbourhoods and hotels have been destroyed.

Fires are still active on the island and being battled by firefighters, with helicopters dropping water from above.The western side of the second largest Hawaiian island, with world-famous beaches, had been almost entirely cut off.

The flames were fanned by Hurricane Dora, which passed by the south of Hawaii – gusts of wind up to 65mph (100km/h) hit the islands earlier this week.

However, the winds are now easing as Hurricane Dora continues to move away to the west.

The incredibly strong winds meant that aircraft have only recently been able to fly over the town and begin to reveal the devastation – the flames have destroyed most of the buildings in front of the port, including the old courthouse.

“It’s horrifying. I’ve flown here 52 years and I’ve never seen anything come close to that,” helicopter pilot Richard Olsten told the Associated Press. “We had tears in our eyes.”

Fourteen people were rescued after jumping into the city’s harbour to escape the flames and smoke and dozens of people are also being treated in hospital from fire-related injuries, including smoke inhalation.

A huge search and rescue operation is under way, with some people still unaccounted for.

Lahaina is a historic town on the western tip of Maui. Its centre dates back to the 1700s and is on the US National Register of Historic Places.

At least 270 buildings have been destroyed in the picturesque resort, which is home to about 12,000 people.

Former US President Barack Obama – who was born in Hawaii – is among those who has expressed his sorrow at the impact of the blaze. He posted on the X social network (formerly known as Twitter): “It’s tough to see some of the images coming out of Hawai’i — a place that’s so special to so many of us.

“Michelle and I are thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one, or whose life has been turned upside down.”

The fires have also destroyed many natural features on the island – there are fears for Lahaina’s banyan tree, the oldest in Hawaii, and one of the oldest in the US.

The 60ft-tall (18m) fig tree was planted in 1873, on the place where Hawaiian King Kamehameha’s first palace stood but it was burnt after fires ravaged the area on Wednesday.

According to the town’s website, if its roots remain healthy it will likely grow back. But at this stage, they say the tree “looks burned”.

The full extent of the damage to the town and the rest of the island is not yet known and Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke has estimated it could take “months” to have the full picture.

By Chris Clayton, Dominic Bailey, Kady Wardell, Mike Hills, Tural Ahmedzade, Paul Sargeant, Gerry Fletcher and Kate Gaynor.