A view of flames as wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Reuters

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the US government and people, and to the families of the victims, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

A terrifying wildfire that left a historic Hawaiian town in charred ruins has killed at least 55 people, authorities said, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state's history, AFP reported.

Brushfires on Maui — fuelled by high winds from a nearby hurricane — broke out on Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.

The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape.

"It really looks like somebody came along and just bombed the whole town. It's completely devastated," said Canadian Brandon Wilson, who had traveled to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary, but was at the airport trying to get them a flight out.

"It was really hard to see," he said, teary-eyed. "You feel so bad for people. They lost their homes, their lives, their livelihoods."

The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc.

"What we've seen today has been catastrophic... likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history," Governor Josh Green said.

WAM /AFP