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Valley couple gets out of Hawaii ahead of deadly wildfires

12News spoke to a couple from the Valley who travels to Maui every summer. They got out just ahead of the fires.

HAWAII, USA — Barbara Philipps said she and her family call Maui their "happy place."

That’s where she and her husband were on Tuesday. It’s a trip the Valley couple takes every summer.

Just one day later, parts of the Hawaii island have been devastated by a wildfire. The raging wildfire has killed at least six people and forced thousands of others to evacuate.

The couple made it out of Hawaii just before the fires after deciding to leave early.

While the family normally spends the final day of their trip relaxing and evening out their tans, Philipps said they woke up to a power outage on Tuesday and decided to head to the airport ahead of schedule.

"We didn't know that we were one of the last people out of Lahini before they closed the road," she said.

As the family was leaving they ran into unreal conditions on the road.

"Palm fronds and coconuts were being blown from trees and people were hitting them like soccer balls," Philipps added.

RELATED: At least 6 killed in wildfires that devastated parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, official says

The fires are being fueled by strong winds from Hurricane Dora. The National Weather Service said the hurricane was passing to the south of the island chain.

NBC News reports at least 200 structures on Maui have been damaged or destroyed in the wildfires.

The impact of the fire stretches from power outages to a lack of resources to tackle the fire, along with road closures and flight delays.

Philipps is heartbroken after hearing about the helicopters and the Hawaii National Guard stepping in to rescue everyone in need.

"I couldn't believe that people were jumping into the ocean, to avoid the flames because there's nowhere to go. It's just like a hurricane and it picks up the fire and it's a fire hurricane is what it is, it's just frightening to see," she added.

The fire burned much of one historic community.

"Lahaina is an old whaling town and it's just wooden buildings, there's no steel walls, there's nothing, so if one building goes there all going to go," Philipps said.

Planning a trip to Maui? Watch the video below to see what travel experts said you should do first. 

   

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