Current:Home > StocksMaui County sues utility, alleging negligence over fires that ravaged Lahaina -BeyondWealth Learning
Maui County sues utility, alleging negligence over fires that ravaged Lahaina
View
Date:2025-04-13 10:40:01
HONOLULU (AP) — Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric Company on Thursday over the fires that devastated Lahaina, saying the utility negligently failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions.
Witness accounts and video indicated that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, which were driven by a passing hurricane. The Aug. 8 fire killed at least 115 people and left an unknown number of others missing.
A spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Had the utility heeded weather service “warnings and de-energized their powerlines during the predicted high-wind gusts, this destruction could have been avoided,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit said the utility had a duty “to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment.”
The utility knew that high winds “would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation,” the lawsuit said. “Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate.”
The lawsuit notes other utilities, such as Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric, have all implemented Public Safety Power Shutoffs during during high wind events and said the “severe and catastrophic losses ... could have easily been prevented” if Hawaiian Electric had a similar shutoff plan.
The county said it is seeking compensation for damage to public property and resources in Lahaina as well as nearby Kula.
Other utilities have been found liable for devastating fires recently.
In June, a jury in Oregon found the electric utility PacifiCorp responsible for causing devastating fires during Labor Day weekend in 2020, ordering the company to pay tens of millions of dollars to 17 homeowners who sued and finding it liable for broader damages that could push the total award into the billions.
Pacific Gas & Electric declared bankruptcy and pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter after its neglected equipment caused a fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills in 2018 that destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings and virtually razed the town of Paradise, California.
veryGood! (581)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Stefanos Tsitsipas exits US Open: 'I'm nothing compared to the player I was before'
- Crews work to restore power to more than 300,000 Michigan homes, businesses after storms
- Backpage.com founder Michael Lacey sentenced to 5 years in prison, fined $3M for money laundering
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Found Art
- It’s a tough time for college presidents, but Tania Tetlow thrives as a trailblazer at Fordham
- 'Beloved' father who was clearing storm drains identified as victim of Alaska landslide
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Defense seeks to undermine accuser’s credibility in New Hampshire youth center sex abuse case
Ranking
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Backpage.com founder Michael Lacey sentenced to 5 years in prison, fined $3M for money laundering
- Surging Methane Emissions Could Be a Sign of a Major Climate Shift
- Water buffalo corralled days after it escaped in Iowa suburb and was shot by police
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- All eyes are on Nvidia as it prepares to report its earnings. Here’s what to expect
- CDC reports 5 more deaths, new cases in Boar's Head listeria outbreak since early August
- Defense seeks to undermine accuser’s credibility in New Hampshire youth center sex abuse case
Recommendation
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
NCT member Taeil leaves K-pop group following sexual offense allegations
Armie Hammer Reveals He’s Selling His Truck Since He “Can’t Afford the Gas Anymore”
Rohingya refugees mark the anniversary of their exodus and demand a safe return to Myanmar
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
NFL cuts 2024: Recapping major moves on Tuesday's roster cutdown day
Minnesota state senator pleads not guilty to burglarizing stepmother’s home
Kamala Harris’ election would defy history. Just 1 sitting VP has been elected president since 1836