Fires, fuelled by the wind, have swept across the town of Lahaina, West Maui, leading to mass evacuations.
"Our main focus now is to save lives," Maui mayor Richard Bissen Jr said.
"The gravity of losing any life is tragic. As we grieve with their families, we offer prayers for comfort in this inconsolable time."
The acting governor, Sylvia Luke has declared a state of emergency and has urged people not to travel to the island describing it as "not a safe place to be".
On Maui, about 4,000 visitors are trying to leave the island, said state transportation official Ed Sniffen.
Thousands there are also without cell service, due to about 29 power poles collapsing. The full scale of the damages to homes and businesses is not yet clear, officials say.
Maj Gen Kenneth S Hara, who is in charge of the emergency response, said the priority at the moment is "saving lives, preventing human suffering, and mitigating great property loss".
More than 12,000 people in the state of Hawaii are currently without power, according to PowerOutage.Us.
At least six people have died in wildfires raging on the Hawaiian island of Maui, mayor Richard Bissen Jr has said.
Several others are unaccounted for while hospitals on Maui are overwhelmed by burn and smoke inhalation victims, officials added.
Mr Bissen Jr said the fatalities had been confirmed moments before a news conference on Wednesday.
“I’m sad to report that just before coming on this, it was confirmed we’ve had six fatalities. We are still in search and rescue mode.”
Search and rescue teams are struggling to reach parts of Maui cut off by three out-of-control blazes.
A sprawling, 150-year-old Lahaina banyan tree has long mesmerized Maui locals and visitors alike. Standing at 60 feet high and a quarter of a mile in circumference, it is believed among conservation experts to be the largest tree of its kind in the United States — and many fear it has now been scorched by the fires.
A satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows an overhead view of the tree during the fires on Wednesday, in which it appears to be standing but severely burned.
The cause in Maui had yet to be determined but the National Weather Service said the fires were fueled by a mix of dry vegetation, strong winds, and low humidity.
Officials said the winds from Hurricane Dora fanned the flames across the state. The storm was about 860 miles (1,380 km) southwest of Honolulu as of 11 a.m. local time (2100 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said.
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