The State of Hawaiʻi will contribute $807.5 million to the global settlement for Maui wildfire victims.
The state will pay roughly $200 million annually for the next four years into the total fund, which stands at just over $4 billion.
The rest of the $4.037 billion settlement will be funded by the other six defendants from the fire: Maui County, Kamehameha Schools, Charter Communications/Spectrum, Hawaiian Telcom, West Maui Land Company, and Hawaiian Electric.
Hawaiian Electric is set to contribute the most at just under $2 billion, followed by Kamehameha Schools at about $872 million.
Gov. Josh Green signed the state’s contribution into law on Tuesday, July 8 — exactly 23 months after the devastating Lahaina fire.
“We’re talking now about healing and recovery and our commitment to fire safety. That’s what this is about,” Green said.
He noted that some of the victims have already started to receive their money through the state’s One ʻOhana Fund, which offered $1.5 million settlements to those who lost their loved ones. This is separate from the state’s $807 million contribution to the global fund.
“We approached this like a family. That's why the first thing we did was the One ʻOhana Fund, which was $175 million to make sure that those who lost a loved one could get settlement dollars immediately,” Green said.
“We wanted to provide closure for people. That's what this $4 billion settlement will allow people to do.”
It is not clear when all claims will be fulfilled, but Green emphasized that his priorities still lie with those who suffered personal losses, along with victims who lost their homes and businesses.
