WAILUKU, Hawaii--Several thousand Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as the Lahaina fire swept across the island, killing at least 36 people and burning parts of a centuries-old town.

For visitors looking for the perfect photo of a whitecapped ocean lapping over the rocky shoreline while a geyser of misty water pops in the foreground, northwestern Maui's Nakalele Blowhole is ...