Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii’s governor has pledged to prevent land grabbing as Maui residents begin to rebuild their homes (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Hawaii governor Josh Green has 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.

Mr Green said 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.