The scale of devastation caused by the catastrophic wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island is becoming apparent.
Aerial photos show the extent of the damage to the island of Maui; block after block of grey rubble, where homes and businesses once were.
Hawaii National Guard director of public affairs Jeff Hickman told Checkpoint rescuers were going house to house searching for those missing.
"...Our governor Josh Green...when he visited it first the first time he said it looked like a bomb had gone off.
"Everything is levelled, everything is grey and what the big contrast is, is that was a bustling town, that was a tourist hotspot."
The death toll on Friday evening (New Zealand time) was 53 but with about 1000 people missing Hickman said the death toll would rise.
The fires were 80 percent contained.
An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Photo: AFP / Patrick T. Fallon
The Hawaii National Guard has been activated to assist Maui County with its efforts.
Thirty National Guard airmen and soldiers were helping the local community carry out search and rescues.
"They're going literally house by house, block by block, looking for any remains because there are so many missing they need to be found and the area needs to be clear.
"There are lists of people using social media showing pictures of loved ones that they've lost contact with for the last three days and everybody is thinking the worst.
"It's a really horrible mission that we have to do but it's one that Maui needs right now, they need to find some kind of closure."
An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows a person walking down Front Street past destroyed buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. Photo: AFP / Patrick T. Fallon
The guard was using helicopters - mostly for used cargo but which can carry about 30 people - to drop 4,000 gallon barrels of water, he said.
"They dropped over 100,000 gallons on the hotspots yesterday...you're talking lots of effort going into the fire suppression."
It was also supplying traffic control points and security because the area affected was off limits to the public, he said.
"Buildings are still smouldering."
The guard was expensive and was being paid for by the government, he said.
"You've got to pay for the guard, you've got to pay them back. Most of the time it comes from federal funds and President Biden sign that Maui is kind of off the hook, we'll be paid for but we're expensive.
"So whenever Maui can use its own resources or small businesses and give them money, they do...Maui county is very resilient."
Volunteers with King's Cathedral Maui unload donations of blankets and supplies on August 10, 2023 in Kahului, Hawaii. Photo: AFP / Justin Sullivan
Hickman grew up on Maui and described it as a small and very tight community.
"They're actually coming together right now when they need to the most."
Lāhainā used to be the capital of Hawaii, he said.
"That was a whaling village and the bust of our commerce, everything ran through Lāhainā.
"Lāhainā ended up being a great tourist spot but he same buildings that the whalers used were now lined front street and they're all mom and pop stores, owned by small business owners and restaurants, great restaurants, it was the best place to go for Halloween on the island of Maui.
"Everyone who visits Hawaii always goes to Lāhainā and knows that part of Maui and now it's gone."
Volunteers with King's Cathedral Maui bring in donations on August 10, 2023 in Kahului, Hawaii. Photo: AFP / Justin Sullivan
With about 3,000 people stranded and needing to leave the affected areas of the island, Hickman said tourist organisations and the city of Maui were shuttling people out.
People were being split into two groups tourists or residents.
Tourists were taken to the airport, another area of the island, or being flown to another island to await their flight in a convention centre.
"We have tourists that have nothing left."
