$4-billion settlement reached in lawsuit over Maui fires, court filings say

Waiola Church and Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames in Lahaina, Hawaii, during last year’s wildfire. The parties in lawsuits seeking damages for last year’s Maui wildfires have reached a $4-billion global settlement, a court filing said Friday, nearly one year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, a Maui attorney who represents victims, including families who lost relatives, said the amount was “woefully short.” But he said it was a deal that plaintiffs needed to consider given Hawaiian Electric’s limited assets and potential bankruptcy. “I’m going to need that money to rebuild.” Hawaiian Electric, one of seven defendants, said payments would begin after final approval and were expected no earlier than the middle of next year, it said. Defendant Maui County said the agreement represents a shared commitment between the parties to continue negotiating in good faith toward a larger, detailed resolution that would seek to equitably distribute the settlement money.