HAWAII’S governor has promised to protect local landowners from being victimised by opportunistic buyers when Maui rebuilds from the wildfires as the death toll surpasses 100.

It came as the first names of people killed in the fires were released by officials on Wednesday as more than 1,000 people are estimated to still be missing.

Seventy-nine-year-old Buddy Jantoc’s body, a bass guitarist who played alongside Carlos Santana and George Benson, was discovered at his residence in a nursing home.

His daughter-in-law said: “I’m hoping he was asleep. I hope to God he did not suffer.”

Governor Josh Green said that he instructed the state attorney general to work towards a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, even as he acknowledged the move would likely face legal challenges.

“My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no-one is victimised from a land grab,” Mr Green said at a news conference.

“People are right now traumatised. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land.

“Do not approach their families saying they’ll be much better off if they make a deal.”

Mr Green said that he would announce details of the moratorium on Friday.

Since the fires devastated the historic island community just over a week ago, locals have feared that a rebuilt town could become even more oriented towards wealthy visitors, according to Lahaina native Richy Palalay.

Hotels and condos “that we can’t afford to live in — that’s what we’re afraid of,” he said from a shelter for evacuees.

Many in Lahaina struggled to afford life in the growing tourism hotspot, with the average renter paying 42 per cent of their income on housing — the highest in the country by a large margin.