With The ‘Blame Game’ In Full Swing, Maui’s Road To Recovery Seems To Be Getting Longer

28.08.2023 - 16:41 / forbes.com

Twenty days have passed since a deadly wildfire was sparked in Lahaina on Maui’s west coast, but what caused the blaze to get out of control is still a matter of speculation.

The leading narrative thus far has been that downed power lines - knocked over by hurricane force winds - ignited the fire and set the area ablaze.

This is not only a commonly-held belief amongst residents who have filed individual lawsuits against the electric company regarding the loss of their property, but it is now the official stance of the island’s government.

Last week, Maui County filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric (also known as HECO), accusing the company’s downed lines of causing the wildfire initially, and allowing the fire to spread rapidly due to its failure to appropriately manage the grid thereafter.

All along, HECO has denied wrongdoing, responding to criticism by saying, essentially, that things are not that simple.

De-energizing power lines is not common practice, the company’s president said, and there are side effects to such action. One example given was that de-energizing power lines would effect water systems, and also vulnerable populations who rely on power to operate things like medical equipment.

But now, HECO is ramping up its own defense and finger pointing, claiming that it was actually Maui County’s negligence - not their own - that allowed the wildfire to get out of control.

In a statement issued Sunday evening, HECO provided a timeline of the events of August 8th that aim to show the company’s power lines were, in fact, de-energized in some locations and that other factors contributed to the growth of the blaze, including a disorganized response from the County.

“The county’s lawsuit may leave us no choice in the legal system but to show its responsibility for what happened that day,” HECO wrote in the statement.

According to the HECO statement, the Maui Fire Department responded to an early-morning fire that had been set off by downed power lines. This fire was successfully extinguished, with fire crews departing around 2 p.m. When HECO employees arrived soon after to begin repairs, they reported seeing another fire nearby.

“By the time the Maui County Fire Department arrived back on the scene, it was not able to contain the Afternoon Fire and it spread out of control toward Lahaina,” the statement said. It added that “there was no electricity flowing through the wires in the area or anywhere else on the West Maui coast.”

On one hand, it’s no surprise to see this type of crossfire. With responsibility will come millions of dollars in damages and a lifetime stain in reputation, and it’s clear neither the County nor HECO is willing to admit fault - in full or in part - at this moment in