Search and healing employee examine charred structures and cars and trucks in the consequences of the Maui Fires in Lahaina, West Maui, Hawaii, August 17,2023
Yuki Iwamura|AFP|Getty Images
Hawaiian Electric is pressing back versus a suit submitted by Maui County recently blaming the energy for setting off the wildfires that have actually eliminated more than 100 individuals, triggered billions of dollars in damages and left hundreds missing out on.
The energy stated power lines fallen by high winds most likely triggered the early morning brush fire in Lahaina however electrical energy had actually been off for hours when a 2nd fire happened that afternoon.
Hawaiian Electric’s stock skyrocketed more than 40% on Monday.
“We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation,” Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura stated in a declarationSunday “We believe the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible.”
“Unfortunately, the county’s lawsuit may leave us no choice in the legal system but to show its responsibility for what happened that day,” Kimura stated.
Hawaiian Electric stated power lines appear to have actually triggered the brush fire that began at 6: 30 a.m. regional time at the crossway of Lahainaluna Road and Hookahua Street in the historical town. The little fire near the downed poles spread out into a field near Lahaina Intermediate School.
The Maui County Fire Department reacted to the early morning fire and stated it had actually been snuffed out, according to the business’s account of occasions leading up to the wildfires.
Hawaiian Electric teams fixing the downed poles later on saw a fire around 3 p.m. about 75 backyards away in the field near Lahaina Intermediate School and right away reported it to authorities, according to the business.
Hawaiian Electric stated the power had actually been off for hours when the team experienced that 2nd fire in the field. By the time the county fire department reacted to the afternoon fire, they were not able to consist of the blaze as it expanded of control towards Lahaina, according to the business.
Hawaiian Electric is dealing with a lots claims looking for damages over its supposed function in the fires. Ratings company Fitch has actually devalued the business’s credit to scrap, cautioning that more than $3.8 billion in prospective liability positions an existential risk to the business.
The reason for the Maui wildfire break out, the most dangerous in the U.S. in more than a century, is still under examination by state, regional and federal authorities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has actually dispatched a group with an electrical engineer to assist with the examination.
Hawaiian Electric has actually notified the ATF that it has records to show that no electrical energy was streaming through its wires when the 2nd fire broke out, according to the business.
