Hawaii Gov. Josh Green tells AP a $4 billion settlement for 2023 Maui wildfire could come next week

HONOLULU — Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Wednesday that the parties in Forest fire in Lahaina Lawsuits against the state, Maui County and utilities are nearing settlement worldwide, with a total value of just over $4 billion.

Green said he hopes to finalize details in the coming days, possibly as early as Aug. 6. That would be two days before the first anniversary of the fire that killed 102 people and destroyed historic Lahaina.

“If that could happen, that would be great. I humbly invite all parties to finalize the agreement,” Green said in an interview at his office. “It appears we are almost there, and we have a very small amount left.”

He said all plaintiffs and defendants have agreed to the global settlement number, but final details are still awaited.

Green said he was out of state for several weeks, but ended up working on the plan while he was away. He said sending $4 billion to Lahaina would help speed up the community’s recovery.

More than 600 lawsuits have been filed over the deaths and destruction caused by the fires. In the spring, a judge appointed mediators and ordered all parties to participate in settlement discussions.

“On July 18, 2024, the court, along with many others, undoubtedly heard for the first time details of what media reports claimed was a ‘global settlement,’” Judge Peter Cahill, who is overseeing the coordination of the litigation, wrote in a scheduling order last week. “These reports proved to be premature.”

Cahill noted that he had received no communication from any party “about a settlement, let alone a settlement of a global nature.” However, he also had not been notified of any impasse in the negotiation process, he wrote.

Maui County and Hawaiian Electric Company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.