Hawaii Gov. Josh Green vowed “to keep the land in local people’s hands” after a deadly wildfire that incinerated a historic Maui community, as the island’s schools began reopening and traffic resumed on a major road. Green said at a news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges. “My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimised from a land grab,” Green said. “People are right now traumatised. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. Do not approach their families saying they’ll be much better off if they make a deal. Because we’re not going to allow it.”
Also, the number of dead reached 111, and Maui police said nine victims had been identified, and the families of five had been notified. A mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived to help process and identify remains.
After a fast-moving wildfire consumed much of Lahaina about a week ago, concern spread that rebuilding would accelerate the town’s transformation into a tropical haven for affluent outsiders. Green pledged to announce details of the moratorium. Green said he also wants to see a long-term moratorium on sales of land that won’t “benefit local people.”
