Maui wildfires updates: President Biden, first lady get firsthand look at damage

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hawaii's request for a disaster declaration for help with a wildfire on Kohala Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency.

Around 200 homes in and near Kohala Ranch have been impacted by the fires that began on Tuesday, the state's emergency management agency said in a press release.

"The fire was also threatening a volunteer fire department, local electrical transmission lines and an AT&T cellular communications tower in the area," Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency said.

There are 12,400 customers without power, according to Hawaiian Electric. The company is working to get some power restored.

When helicopter pilot Richard Olsten flew above Lahaina, Maui, on Wednesday, he said he was not prepared for what he saw.

"It was heartbreaking," Olsten told ABC News Live. "There's hundreds of homes burned down to the ground. The entire area of Front Street, the whole historic area, is gone, burned to the ground."

"We were just speechless with one another as we viewed this horrible destruction of the town," Olsten said.

So far on Wednesday, there have been 17 cancellations and 46 delays at Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, according to FlightAware.

Delta Air Lines said it anticipates operating a full schedule out of Maui on Wednesday, adding two more flights to help accommodate customers from flights canceled the day before.

American Airlines said it canceled all flights to Kahului Airport on Wednesday but expects to operate the majority of flights out of the airport "to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so."

The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier it's monitoring the wildfire and winds in Hawaii, but operations remain normal. A spokesperson said that, if necessary, the agency will take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into areas that experience reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.

-ABC News' Amanda Maile

A Maui resident recounted escaping from his burning home in an interview with ABC News' Gio Benitez on Wednesday.

"We started smelling the smoke, and that's when we knew we had trouble," Steve Scott said. "It came, and it came quick."

Scott said he tried to fight the fire with a hose before managing to flee.

"I was trapped," he said. "We had to run to the harbor."

Scott said the loss is "horrible," especially along Front Street in downtown Lahaina, just as the tourist-driven area started to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I don't know if we can recover from this," he said.