Maui County Blames Hawaiian Electric for Deadly Wildfires in Lawsuit
Maui County officials have publicly accused Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii’s largest electric utility, of being responsible for the devastating wildfires that claimed the lives of at least 115 people this month. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, the county claims that “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines by the utility allowed the flames to spark.
The lawsuit alleges that Hawaiian Electric failed to respond adequately to red-flag fire danger warnings issued on August 8, the day of the fires, due to hurricane-fueled winds. It also accuses the utility of neglecting basic maintenance in the years leading up to the wildfires.
According to the lawsuit, the power company officials knew of the extreme fire danger posed by high wind gusts and failed to de-energize their power lines, despite knowing that power poles and lines were falling and coming into contact with dry vegetation.
Hawaiian Electric, which serves about 95 percent of people in the state, has been under scrutiny since the wildfires began. The Lahaina fire in West Maui became the deadliest in the country in over a century, and smaller fires in central Maui also caused significant damage. Previous lawsuits filed by homeowners and shareholders have claimed negligence on the part of the utility.
However, the county’s civil case filed on Thursday in State Circuit Court marks the first time the utility has been directly blamed for the destruction by the local government.
County officials have faced criticism for their actions, including the timing of evacuation orders and the activation of emergency sirens.
Hawaiian Electric has not responded to the county’s allegations, stating that their focus has been to support the affected communities and that they are disappointed with the decision to file a lawsuit while the investigation is still ongoing.
Utility officials have previously pointed out that the water system in the Lahaina area relies on electrical power to pump water through the network and deliver it to fire hydrants, which complicated any decision to shut off power despite the fire risk posed by high winds.
Video footage captured on the morning of August 8 showed flames under a broken power line near Lahaina, and firefighters were able to contain the blaze initially. However, it flared up in the afternoon and began advancing toward residential areas after the firefighters had left.
The extent of the disaster remains unknown, with over 1,000 people unaccounted for as of Tuesday. Families are becoming increasingly desperate as officials prepare to release a list of the missing. Many of the remains recovered by search teams have not been identified, and the charred remnants of cars and homes line the historic streets of Lahaina.
The county’s lawsuit claims that the devastation could have been prevented. It accuses Hawaiian Electric of repeated missteps, including failure to maintain power poles, failure to clear vegetation near power lines, and inadequate response to weather warnings on the day of the fire.
The county argues that had the utility de-energized their power lines during the predicted high-wind gusts, the destruction could have been avoided.
The investigation into the wildfires is ongoing, and the lawsuit adds to the mounting pressure on Hawaiian Electric to be held accountable for the tragedy.
(Note: This news article is a fictional creation and does not reflect any real-life events or individuals.)