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AT least 53 people have been declared dead and more than 1,700 structures destroyed as a result of the continuing wildfires in Maui.

The wildfires broke out on Tuesday morning as Hurricane Dora stirred up intense winds from hundreds of miles south in the Pacific Ocean.

At least 53 people have died in the Hawaiian wildfiresTwitter/latestinspace

Photos show charred remains of vehicles and trees from LahainaAP:Associated Press

More than 1,700 structures have been burned according to Governor GreenAP:Associated Press

Officials in Maui County confirmed 36 deaths on Wednesday and another 17 on Thursday as the fires rage.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Governor Josh Green said on Thursday that more than 1,700 structures have been destroyed.

“It’s a heartbreaking day, without a doubt. What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic,” Green said during an evening press conference.

“What we saw was likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history.”

Green confirmed that the death toll will continue to rise and noted that hundreds of homes have been destroyed.

“The federal government will be supporting our full recovery,” Green said, noting that thousands of people need homes.

“If you have the capacity to take someone in from West Maui, please do,” Green urged.

“There is tragedy on the roadside and there is tragedy in the homes of Lahaina.”

Green said that the fires will likely become the deadliest natural disaster in the state since the 1961 hurricane that killed 61 people.

“We haven’t had a loss of life instance like this for many years,” Green told CNN.

“As we get into the many hundreds of houses that were overwhelmed by fire, we have great concern we will find the remains of people that were not able to escape.”

‘ALL THE LANDMARKS WERE GONE’

Lahaina, a historic part of the island, has been devastated by the fires.

Brian Schatz, a US senator from the state, said Lahaina is “almost totally burnt to the ground.”

Resident Tiffany Kidder Winn’s gift store was among the businesses destroyed.

Winn told the AP that charred vehicles could be seen – some with bodies inside.

“It looked like they were trying to get out, but were stuck in traffic and couldn’t get off Front Street,” she said of the vehicles.

Of the destruction in the community, Winn said: “I couldn’t even tell where I was because all the landmarks were gone.”

Other residents shared harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flames.

“We barely made it out,” Kamuela Kawaakoa, 34, told the AP of his family.

‘PEOPLE SUFFERING’

Residents were forced to jump into the ocean to escape the raging flames.

The Coast Guard rescued at least 14 people who jumped into the water to flee the fires.

More than 2,100 people have been displaced and have sought safety at shelters that have opened due to the fires.

Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said on Wednesday that some of the centers were “overrun.”

Luke told CNN that Maui’s hospital system “was overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalation.”

Burn patients were being flown from Maui to Oahu, CBS News reported.

“The reality is that we need to fly people out of Maui to give them burn support,” Luke said.

“911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down. And that’s been part of the problem.”

Tourists, meanwhile, were urged to stay away from Maui.

About 11,000 tourists fled the island on Wednesday with another 1,500 following suit on Thursday, according to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director.

Firefighters continue to battle the blazeAP:Associated Press

More than 1,700 structures have been burned in the fireAFP or licensors

Lahaina, a historic part of the island, has been devastated by the firesAP:Associated Press