The wildfires plaguing Maui are officially the state's deadliest natural disaster in history.

The death toll in Hawaii has risen to 80.

Firefighters are continuing to extinguish flare-ups and contain blazes in Lahaina, Pulehu and Upcountry Maui.

Campbell Farrell, an ex-pat Kiwi involved in the aid efforts, says many locals are 'in shock' as the extreme situation rages on- and more are reported missing.

"While 80 lives have been reported lost, we're hearing numbers over 500, but not more than 1000. There's supposed to be still 1300 accounted for, we've heard many children have been lost."

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