(FOX40.COM) — As fires continue to rage across the Hawaiian Island of Maui and destroy whole cities, California has begun to send aid workers and search and rescue personnel to help those able to escape the flames.

On Thursday, the American Red Cross California Gold Country Region sent four of its members to Maui.

One of the members will serve as a liaison between Red Cross and government agencies. The other three members are volunteers that will help train and work in shelters.

California Office of Emergency Services Director Nancy Ward announced on Thursday that 11 members of Cal OES will be making their way across the Pacific as well.

These members are a part of the California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and are assigned to be in recovery operations and to search for survivors in the deadly fire.

Those known Cal OES members that are being sent include:
• CA Task Force 7 from Sacramento: William Levine, Rickie Dean Bartee, Sacramento City Fire Department
• CA Task Force 4 from Oakland: Jeffrey Cameron Petep, Oakland Fire Department
• CA Task Force 6 from Riverside City Fire Department

Since Tuesday, these flames have ragged through Maui as trade winds and the distant winds of Hurricane Dora continue to fuel and move the blaze across the island.

Meteorologists and scientists are attributing the cause of these catastrophic and deadly fires to extremely uncommon weather patterns due to climate change.

Reports are showing that unusually strong trade winds, low humidity and dry vegetation have created the perfect concoction for these massive and fast moving fires.

Scientists on the islands are sharing that the wet season has spurred the growth of tall grasses like Guinea grass that can grow up to 10 feet tall in a rather short amount of time.

When these grasses dry up it leaves a large stockpile of extremely flammable materials that can feed a fire and allow it to move quickly through a given area.

As of Thursday at 12:13 p.m., the fires have claimed the lives of at least 36 people.