July 18 (Reuters) - Hawaiian Electric Industries ( HE )

and other defendants in lawsuits over the Maui wildfires in

Hawaii have tentatively agreed to pay more than $4 billion in

settlement amount, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing

people familiar with the matter.

The company and other defendants, including county

officials, face multiple lawsuits over the blazes that destroyed

thousands of properties and caused damages worth an estimated $5

billion.

The proposed deal would settle suits on behalf of thousands

of homeowners and businesses against the utility.

Other defendants, in the proposed settlement, include a unit

of Charter Communications and state and local governments,

Bloomberg added.

Hawaii's Department of the Attorney General and Hawaiian

Electric declined Reuters requests for comment on the mediation

efforts, citing a confidentiality agreement.

Charter Communications also declined to comment, while the

Office of Maui Mayor did not immediately respond.