Maui wildfires updates: President Biden, first lady tour damage

The National Weather Service has canceled all high wind and red flag warning alerts for Hawaii as wind speeds are expected to decrease slightly on Thursday.

But wind gusts are still forecast to get up to 25 to 35 miles per hour, which will not help the fight to contain raging wildfires on Maui.

Over the last few days, winds have gusted to as high as 82 mph in parts of Hawaii. In Maui County, wind speeds got up to 67 mph.

This is due to very strong trade winds and the increased pressure gradient between the high pressure to the north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.

Dora never hit Hawaii, only coming as close as 700 miles to the south. So the winds are not due to Dora but rather the pressure gradient effect.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

At least 36 people have died as wildfires tear through the Hawaiian island of Maui, according to officials.

During a press conference early Thursday, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen confirmed that the death toll is "growing."

"We knew of six earlier. We are probably around 36 as of now," Bissen said.

Maui County also confirmed in a statement late Wednesday that "36 total fatalities have been discovered today"

-ABC News' Alyssa Pone

Authorities say more than 271 structures have been impacted, as fires continue to burn into early evening local time.

A federal team has arrived on the island to assist in search and rescue efforts in Lahaina, Maui County said Wednesday.

Close to 100 Maui firefighters have been on duty around the clock, including 11 from the state airport, the county said. The Maui Fire Department has reached out for additional support, requesting 20 more firefighters from Honolulu, Oahu and an incident management team.

Firefighters are addressing spot fires in Lahaina. Two Chinooks, along with four Windward Aviation helicopters, have been battling all three fires with water drops. Three additional helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy have conducted search and rescue along the West Maui coastline, the county said.

The Maui FD reported no significant changes for the Lahaina, Upcountry and Pūlehu fires as of the afternoon local time.

There are no new evacuations, however, motorists are prohibited from entering Lahaina while the fire is active, with police on hand to prevent entry into the area. Residents who are still in Lahaina have been advised they can evacuate via Kahakuloa.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hawaii's request for a disaster declaration for help with a wildfire on Kohala Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency.

Around 200 homes in and near Kohala Ranch have been impacted by the fires that began on Tuesday, the state's emergency management agency said in a press release.

"The fire was also threatening a volunteer fire department, local electrical transmission lines and an AT&T cellular communications tower in the area," Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency said.

There are 12,400 customers without power, according to Hawaiian Electric. The company is working to get some power restored.