The state of Hawaii says a settlement agreement has been reached in principle to resolve all tort claims arising from the massive wildfires that hit the island of Maui nearly one year ago.
The Hawaii state government said on Friday that under the proposed terms of the settlement, the state, the county of Maui, a local power company and other entities will pay a little over 4 billion dollars.
It said the payments will go to all those who have brought claims for compensation, including approximately 2,200 affected parties who filed lawsuits.
It also said payments are expected to start by mid-2025, once a final settlement agreement takes effect following judicial review and approval by the state legislature.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said his priority was to avoid protracted lawsuits to ensure that “as many resources as possible would go to those affected by the wildfires as quickly as possible.”
He expressed gratitude to all those who put “Hawaii’s recovery and healing above personal or other interests.”
The wildfires that broke out on August 8 last year left 102 people dead. The flames were whipped by strong winds from a hurricane and spread quickly, devastating the center of the tourist destination of Lahaina, once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
The extensive damage has been blamed on factors including power cables severed by powerful winds and insufficient evacuation instructions by authorities.