$4B settlement offer for Maui wildfire victims announced

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A proposed $4 billion offer would settle lawsuits filed by homeowners, business owners and others a year after a wildfire ravaged Maui, Hawaii, and killed 102.

About 2,200 individuals and entities filed 450 federal and state lawsuits against the state of Hawaii, Maui County, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, the West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telecom and Spectrum/Charter Communications.

The seven defendants would pay $4.04 billion to compensate those who filed claims for compensation for damages and physical harm caused by the Aug. 8, 2023, windstorms and wildfires that ravaged much of the island of Maui.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced the settlement offer Friday, which he called a "historic settlement."

"This global settlement of over $4 billion will help our people heal" while avoiding "protracted and painful lawsuits," Green said in a news release.

"Settling a matter like this within a year is unprecedented," Green said. "It will be good that our people don't have to wait to rebuild their lives as long as others have in many places that have suffered similar tragedies."

He said the settlement offer was reached after four months of mediated negotiations and requires court approval.

Hawaiian Electric president and Chief Executive Officer Shelee Kimura said the settlement offer enables all involved parties to "move forward."

"It will allow all of us to work together cohesively and effectively to support the people of Lahaina and Maui to create the future they want to see emerge from this tragedy," Kimura said.

She said the proposed settlement "is a powerful demonstration of how Hawaii comes together in times of crisis."

If the settlement offer is accepted and approved, payments would start no sooner than mid-2025, Kimura said.

The Maui wildfire was the deadliest in more than 100 years in the United States and occurred when a windstorm struck the Hawaiian Islands and knocked over power lines on Maui.