US

Maui Wildfire Victims Land $4 Billion Settlement

President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and elected officials board Marine One at Kahului Airport in Kahului, Hawaii on Monday, August 21, 2023, to take an aerial tour of the devastation from deadly wildfires on the island of Maui. Flickr/Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

The Maui wildfire victims landed a $4 billion settlement regarding the August 2023 fires, the governor’s office announced Friday.

Seven defendants, including the state of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co., Hawaiian Telcom and Spectrum/Charter Communications, will compensate all those who filed claims, and the settlement resolves over 450 lawsuits, according to a press release from Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. The August 8, 2023, wildfire resulted in the death of 102 people and damaged more than 3,000 structures in Lahaina, The New York Times reported.

“This was an extraordinary and unprecedented effort by many people to address the tragic impacts of the wildfires in less than a year,” Green said, according to the press release. “Resolving this so quickly shows how Hawai‘i is different, how we come together in times of crisis to heal together as a community.”

Hawaiian Electric, one of the companies Maui County accused of ignoring the National Weather Service’s “red flag” warning of an increased risk for wildfires and failing to shut down equipment, will pay the largest amount of the defendants at $1.99 billion, the NYT reported. The amount avoids a larger cost that could have sent the company into bankruptcy.

The settlement includes no admission of liability, according to the NYT.

“Achieving this resolution will allow all parties to move forward without the added challenges and divisiveness of the litigation process,” Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric, said, according to the company’s press release. “It will allow all of us to work together more cohesively and effectively to support the people of Lahaina and Maui to create the future they want to see emerge from this tragedy.”

The exact cause of the fire still remains under investigation, though some believe it was caused in part by fallen power lines and exacerbated by the fire department’s alleged failure to fully extinguish the initial fire, according to the NYT.

Green’s office, Maui County, and Hawaiian Electric did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Featured Image Credit: Flickr/Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz