Honolulu: A $4bn settlement has been announced for claims from more than two thousand people seeking compensation over last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui, Hawaii’s governor has said.
Josh Green’s office confirmed a deal in principle had been proposed to resolve around 450 legal cases.
The August 2023 wildfires were the deadliest in modern US history, killing more than 100 people and destroying the historic town of Lahaina.
The settlement, which Green said was reached after four months of negotiation, will be paid by the seven defendants named in lawsuits lodged in the wake of the fires.
These are the State of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co, Hawaiian Telcom and Spectrum/Charter Communications. Hawaiian Electric has confirmed it will contribute nearly $2bn, a little under half of the total settlement deal. (Agencies)