A settlement was recently announced regarding the 2023 wildfires in Hawaii.
Hawaiian Electric, the state’s largest utility, announced on Friday that it had agreed to pay $1.99 billion in a legal settlement worth over $4 billion. The money will act as compensation to victims of the 2023 fires, including home and business owners whose properties burned down.
The lawsuit claimed Hawaiian Electric was at least partially responsible for the fires when it had not shut off power lines. Multiple warnings were issued during periods of high winds, indicating that they could topple its power lines and spark wildfires.
Despite agreeing to compensate the victims, Hawaiian Electric did not admit to any legal liability as part of the settlement terms.