The death toll rose to 67 on Friday, more than the number of people killed in the 1960 tsunami that hit the Big Island.
Governor Josh Green said, “Without a doubt, there will be more deaths. We don’t know how many ultimately will die.”
Maui County said crews from Honolulu arrived in Maui with search and rescue teams equipped with K-9 sled dogs.
Firefighters continued to douse the raging blaze in Lahaina and bring the wildfire under control, with flames visible to an AFP team in the town.
Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said Thursday that at least 1,000 people could be missing, though he stressed that does not mean they are missing or dead.
Communications remain difficult in the western part of the island, and Pelletier said many of the people who have not been traced could simply be unreachable.
The fires come after other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave sweeping the US Southwest.
Europe and parts of Asia have also endured rising temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc.
