Hawaii wildfires News

Lawmakers Agree to Pay $807M Into Lahaina Wildfires Settlement Fund

It’s not often that applause breaks out in the audience after a vote at the Hawaiʻi Legislature, but that one afternoon this week. The measure was House Bill 1001, and the subject was settling claims related to the August 2023 …

Department of Labor Award Continues Disaster-Relief Jobs for Maui Wildfires

The U.S. Department of Labor is awarding $2.5 million to Hawaii to continue employment and training services and support disaster-relief jobs for people in communities affected by the wildfires that swept across the island of Maui on Aug. 8, 2023. …

How Better Water Systems Can Help a City Survive The Next Firestorm

Santa Rosa. Paradise. Boulder County. Lahaina. Los Angeles. All are places that have shown that American cities and their water systems weren’t built to withstand wildfire, experts say. Related: California Wildfire Mitigation And Recovery Bill Package Introduced Hydrants trickled. Pumps …

Hawaiian Electric Welcomes Top Court’s Ruling on $4B Wildfire Settlement

Utility company Hawaiian Electric on Tuesday welcomed the Hawaii Supreme Court’s decision towards finalizing the more than $4 billion settlement related to the 2023 Maui wildfires saying it was favorable to the company. The state’s top court had ruled against …

Hawaii Wildfire Victims Spared From Testifying After Deal Over $4B Settlement

Lawyers representing victims of a deadly Hawaii wildfire reached a last-minute deal averting a trial that was scheduled to begin Wednesday over how to split a $4 billion settlement. The agreement means victims and survivors will not have to testify, …

Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season

As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh Green said in …

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised …

Lawyers Handling Lawsuits Over Maui Wildfires to Get Investigation Documents

A judge on Friday forced the Hawaii attorney general’s office to turn over to lawyers involved in the hundreds of lawsuits over last summer’s Maui wildfires all documents, interviews and data collected by the outside team hired to investigate the …

Hawaii Governor Sets up Climate and Disaster Team to Develop Resilience Policy

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has formed a Climate Advisory Team (CAT) made up of experts and stakeholders to deal with the challenges of climate disasters and to build a roadmap for the state’s strategy to mitigate the financial impact of …

Highlights of Reports on Deadly 2023 Hawaii Wildfire

More than half a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century burned through a historic Maui town, officials are still trying to determine exactly what went wrong and how to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. …