Hawaii, its biggest power utility and other defendants have reached a tentative agreement to pay more than $4 billion to settle lawsuits stemming from last year’s devastating wildfires in Maui, Gov. Josh Green announced Friday.
The proposed agreement, which must still be approved, would settle approximately 450 lawsuits filed by plaintiffs including homeowners and businesses for fires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, Green’s office said.
He called it “a historic settlement to resolve all tort claims arising from the Maui wildfires.”
The wildfires are the deadliest in modern American history and caused damages estimated at $5 billion. More than 100 people in Lahaina were killed.
Green said the deal, called an agreement in principle, was complex.
“This Global Settlement of over $4 billion will help our people heal,” Green said in a statement. He said that it ensures victims won’t have to wait unnecessarily in litigation.
The deal is contingent on the resolution of insurance company claims that have already been paid. A final settlement requires court approval.
A wind-whipped wildfire spread on Aug. 8 in West Maui. Other fires also erupted, destroying homes, businesses and the environment.
Since the fires, hundreds of lawsuits have piled up against Hawaiian Electric, accusing the company of negligence and ignoring repeated warnings of the possibility of a catastrophic inferno igniting on the island.
The proposed agreement involves seven defendants — the state of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telcom and Spectrum/Charter Communications, Green’s office said in a statement.
Around 2,200 parties filed lawsuits, according to the governor’s office.
The state’s contribution to the settlement must first be approved by the Legislature. Payments are expected to begin mid-2025, Green said.
Hawaiian Electric is a for-profit, investor-owned company that serves 95% of the state’s electric customers.
The Associated Press contributed.
