'We'll help everybody we can': Seattle woman recounts Hawaii family's escape from wildfire

At least 36 have died in the wildfires sweeping across Hawaii's Big Island and Maui. Dozens more have been injured, and thousands are taking shelter after evacuating their homes — many of which have been burned to the ground.

Roxanne See has watched it all, from a distance, at her home in Seattle. She moved to Washington from Oahu in 2013. Many of her family members are in the path of the flames. See was able to speak to them Wednesday night, and says they're all accounted for, however, several of their homes in Lahaina, Maui, are a total loss.

"According to one niece, they were told to evacuate, and as they were getting things out of their apartment or house, their roof caught fire," See told KUOW's Angela King. "So, they ran with whatever they could. They got to the car, but of course there is traffic because everybody is trying to evacuate, too. It got to the point where traffic wasn't moving, so one of my nieces said that they just got out of the car and jumped into the water."

At the time, the water was the family's only refuge from the flames.

See's cousin lost her home, as did two of her children. Still, she's staying positive.

"They're all separated, but they're out of the danger zone," See said.

While there isn't much See and others with loved ones on the islands can do, right now, she says she can still gather strength.

"We come together stronger. We rebuild. We'll help everybody we can," she said. "There's so many people from Hawaii that are here in Washington state, so very, very many people. Everybody's been checking on each other. So, our hearts just go out to everybody there."

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More than 270 structures and about 11,000 acres have been burned by wildfires on the Hawaiian islands. There's still much more damage to assess. Getting ahold of loved ones in the area can be difficult as internet and cell phone services are down in many places.

Hawaii Lieutenant Gov. Sylvia Luke told NPR's Morning Edition high temperatures on the island created wildfire conditions to begin with, and the Category 4 Hurricane Dora triggered brush fires, fanning the flames with with maximum sustained winds near 140 miles per hour; the wildfire-hurricane combination is rare, though officials say climate change could fuel more such extreme weather.

Hawaiian officials are trying to keep others safe amid rescue efforts. They're urging travelers to delay any non-essential travel.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines will allow customers who were planning to fly to the islands between now and Saturday to change or cancel flights for free. That includes flights to Maui, Oahu, Kauai or Kona on the Big Island.

The Hawaii Community Foundation is accepting donations online to help those affected by the fires.