• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Hawaii Regulators and Utility Company Knew of Fire Hazards, Yet Failed to Act: Report

Hawaii Regulators and Utility Company Knew of Fire Hazards, Yet Failed to Act: Report

August 18, 2023
MANDY GUNASEKARA: Puerto Rico Saw The Light — Why Won’t Honolulu?

MANDY GUNASEKARA: Puerto Rico Saw The Light — Why Won’t Honolulu?

July 5, 2025
MATT MOWERS: After NATO Summit, Europe’s Free Ride Is On The Line

MATT MOWERS: After NATO Summit, Europe’s Free Ride Is On The Line

July 5, 2025
JENNY BETH MARTIN: A Socialist Victory – And A Warning For America’s 249th Birthday

JENNY BETH MARTIN: A Socialist Victory – And A Warning For America’s 249th Birthday

July 4, 2025
Trump Says Friday Is Elon Musk’s ‘Last Day, but Not Really’

Musk Continues Push For America Party

July 4, 2025
Trump Signs ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Into Law

Trump Signs ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Into Law

July 4, 2025
Lee Greenwood on ‘God Bless the USA’ Legacy: ‘That’s Where Patriotism Starts’

Lee Greenwood on ‘God Bless the USA’ Legacy: ‘That’s Where Patriotism Starts’

July 4, 2025
Trump Seeking Military Costumes for Parade

Trump Lambasts Dems Who Voted Against ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

July 4, 2025
WILL SELLERS: Misunderstanding The Road To Independence

WILL SELLERS: Misunderstanding The Road To Independence

July 4, 2025
Dems’ ‘Project 2029’ May Not Actually Bode Well For Party’s Future

Dems’ ‘Project 2029’ May Not Actually Bode Well For Party’s Future

July 4, 2025
BRILYN HOLLYHAND: Gen Z, It’s Time We Start Acting Like We Deserve The Freedom We Inherited

BRILYN HOLLYHAND: Gen Z, It’s Time We Start Acting Like We Deserve The Freedom We Inherited

July 4, 2025
Dem Eyes House Seat That Swung Nearly 20 Points To Trump

Dem Eyes House Seat That Swung Nearly 20 Points To Trump

July 4, 2025
Outfit Behind Slanted ‘Terrorism’ Studies Pleads For Private Donors After Trump Funding Cuts

Outfit Behind Slanted ‘Terrorism’ Studies Pleads For Private Donors After Trump Funding Cuts

July 4, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Saturday, July 5, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Hawaii Regulators and Utility Company Knew of Fire Hazards, Yet Failed to Act: Report

by Western Journal
August 18, 2023 at 7:09 am
in News
237 15
0
Hawaii Regulators and Utility Company Knew of Fire Hazards, Yet Failed to Act: Report

TOPSHOT - The Ganer family look through the ashes of their family's home on Malolo Place in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 11, 2023. A wildfire that left Lahaina in charred ruins has killed at least 67 people, authorities said on August 11, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state's history. Brushfires on Maui, fueled by high winds from Hurricane Dora passing to the south of Hawaii, broke out August 8 and rapidly engulfed Lahaina. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A Hawaii electric utility company is facing scrutiny after one of the most devastating wildfires in American history caused more than 100 fatalities on the island of Maui.

Hawaiian Electric discussed wildfire mitigation efforts after an unusually severe fire season in 2019, but instead opted to focus its efforts on a government-mandated shift to renewable energy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The company has made little progress in adopting fire prevention measures practiced in California — a state which has experienced devastating fires caused by power lines.

The cause of the costly fires on Maui hasn’t been officially determined, but some evidence suggests that Hawaiian Electric power lines were the source of the blazes.

Video filmed at the beginning of the fires shows power lines blown to the ground by high winds.

WARNING: The following video contains language that some may find offensive.

The more and more videos that become available of the Lahaina fires seem to indicate to me that the fires started from downed power lines from the high winds from Hurricane Dora. What do y’all think? #LahainaFires #MauiFires #Hawaii pic.twitter.com/7V3xt7E77E

— DΛVID ? (@DavidShares) August 16, 2023

A class-action lawsuit filed last week against Hawaiian Electric — one of several that have been filed so far — alleges that the utility failed to deactivate endangered power lines in the midst of high winds from Hurricane Dora, creating the conditions for the fires, Axios reported.

The lawsuit alleges another contributor to the disaster was a failure to properly inspect and maintain the utility infrastructure.

New on #MauiFires: Class action lawsuit against Hawaii Electric, Maui Electric, and some other power entities on behalf dof the victims of the Lahaina Fire alleging downed power lines and the failure to de-energize the grid caused the fire.

These attorneys waste no time pic.twitter.com/94EnatN3nB

— Brianna Sacks (@bri_sacks) August 12, 2023

Hawaiian Electric admitted that it needed to do more to counteract the threat of wildfires after a costly 2019 wildfire season in Maui, according to the Journal.

However, the Journal reported, the publicly traded company spent only $245,000 on Maui wildfire mitigation — a pittance for a company with a market cap of roughly $1.6 billion.

Hawaiian Electric instead made producing renewable energy its priority in the years following the 2019 wildfires.

“Looking back with hindsight, the business opportunities were on the generation side, and the utility was going out for bid with all these big renewable-energy projects,” consultant Doug McLeod, a former Maui county energy commissioner, told the Journal.

“But in retrospect, it seems clear, we weren’t as focused on these fire risks as we should have been.”

Invasive forms of vegetation have also been identified as fire risks.

Another former utility commissioner is admitting the state should have done more to compel Hawaiian Electric to focus on fire mitigation.

“Because it wasn’t an emergency, it didn’t receive the attention that it needed,” Jennifer Potter told the Journal.

She called the lack of focus on fire danger a “missed opportunity.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: American historyCaliforniaemergencies and accidentsenergyFireHawaiilawsuitTwitterU.S. NewsvideoWall Street
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th