THE governor of the state of Hawaii announced yesterday (local time) that a settlement had been reached with those affected by the fires in August 2023, who will receive $4.037 billion to settle their legal claims.

That amount will be given by the state of Hawaii, a local power company and other institutions and businesses to compensate those affected, of whom about 2,200 have filed lawsuits, as well as insurance companies, which have already paid out compensation to their customers. .

“This universal settlement of more than four billion dollars will help our people rebuild,” the governor said in a statement Josh Greenestimating the total cost of the disaster at $12 billion.

That agreement, reached after four months of negotiations, must now be ratified by a judge.

The fires, which broke out on August 8, 2023, caused the death of more than 100 people while thousands were left homeless on the island Maui. The fire destroyed nearly 8,000 acres and reduced the tourist town of Lahaina, the historic capital of the kingdom of Hawaii, to ashes.

The flames, fueled by strong winds, advanced at lightning speed, catching many residents by surprise. Many of them escaped by fleeing to the waters of the ocean where they remained for hours.

Several of those who went to court blamed the company Hawaii Electric for negligence for failing to cut off power despite warnings that high winds could cause power poles to fall and fires