Maui fire caused by downed power lines, county and US

The fire that devastated the historic town of Lahaina on Maui last year was caused when Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. re-energized broken utility lines that caused sparks to ignite unmaintained dry vegetation, the Maui Fire Department said.

The blaze was a single fire that was believed to have been extinguished by firefighters, but it reignited later in the day from an unidentified piece of smoldering material located in a gully on the outskirts of Lahaina, the department’s chief said Wednesday in a press conference.

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The county has released details of its official investigation into the cause of the fire, which resulted in an estimated $5.5 billion in economic damage and 102 deaths. The Maui Fire Department called on the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine exactly how the fire started and spread as part of its investigation into the disaster.

Hawaiian Electric said it was not legally responsible for the destructive fire. The company acknowledged that its lines had started a small fire on the day of the tragedy, but said firefighters reported extinguishing that conflagration. A second fire broke out in the afternoon and spread rapidly in Lahaina, the utility company said. Maui County and Hawaiian Electric sued each other for liability for the damage.

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The Maui Fire Department and ATF determined the fire was accidental and largely affirmed their initial understanding of the chronology of events, Hawaiian Electric said in a statement Wednesday.

“We deeply regret that our operations contributed to the fire that broke out this morning,” according to the statement. “Faced with an extraordinary weather event and a chaotic situation, our employees gave their best at work, as they do every day.”

An earlier, separate report released by the Hawaii attorney general found that there were several factors that contributed to the devastation. Strong winds on August 8, 2023 were said to have knocked down a power line in Hawaii that started a small wildfire near Lahaina. Firefighters thought they had extinguished that blaze, but extreme conditions and difficult terrain meant it likely reignited in the afternoon and set the city ablaze, the report said.

Shortly before the one-year anniversary of the disaster, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced a $4 billion settlement in which the state, Maui County, Hawaiian Electric and others agreed to pay for damages resulting from the fires. That deal has been blocked in a court challenge by the insurance companies.

Top photo: Hawaii Electric workers repair power lines on Aug. 17, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. At least 1,110 people have been killed and thousands displaced after a wind-driven fire ravaged the towns of Lahaina and Kula early last week. Crews continue to search for missing persons. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images).

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