Current:Home > Contact-usPower company was 'substantial factor' in devastating Maui wildfires, lawsuit alleges-InfoLens
Power company was 'substantial factor' in devastating Maui wildfires, lawsuit alleges
View Date:2024-12-23 21:21:07
A lawsuit filed on behalf of five Lahaina residents is focusing on a particular player in the Maui wildfire disaster that the lawsuit alleges played a substantial role in last week's devastating fire: a local power company.
The suit says Hawaiian Electric Industries should be held accountable for “negligence, trespass, and nuisance." The utility company was “a substantial factor” in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century that left 99 people dead, historic and cultural sites in ashes and thousands of people without homes.
Hawaiian Electric Industries is the largest supplier of electricity in Hawaii. San Diego- and Wailuku-based law firm Singleton Schreiber filed the lawsuit on Monday.
“Everything we’ve seen indicates the power lines started the fire,” said Singleton Schreiber Managing Partner Gerald Singleton.
The lawsuit alleges that Hawaiian Electric “acted with a conscious indifference to the probable and foreseeable consequences” that led to the fires that burned over 11,000 acres on Aug. 9, and that no “public power shutoff plan” went into effect to shut down power in vulnerable areas, the lawsuit said.
More:'Help is pouring in': How to assist victims in the Maui wildfires in Hawaii
The lawsuit said Hawaiian Electric had enough time and expertise to de-energize their power lines, especially since the company’s “aging utility infrastructure” includes wooden poles and exposed power lines. The complaint also states that the company has a history of improperly maintaining the dry vegetation around their power lines and inspecting their equipment.
Local officials had been warned about the extreme fire risk leading up to Hurricane Dora passing south of the state. On Aug. 6, a “fire weather watch” was issued by the National Weather Service for the state. The next day, “a red flag warning” was issued for dry areas as “strong and gusty easterly winds” were expected, a recipe for rapidly spreading wildfires.
The law firm is awaiting the utility company to respond, Singleton said. According to Hawaiian Electric’s policy, the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation. Since the company provides 95% of power to the state, the company said it is currently focused on supporting emergency response efforts and restoring any lost electricity.
'Incredibly traumatic'
“People are very frustrated and upset, despite the fact that this is not something that took people by surprise, Hawaiian Electric knew there was a hurricane and did not take the steps they could’ve easily taken to protect people,” Singleton said. “The power wasn’t shut off, these different options weren’t employed.”
“It’s been incredibly traumatic,” he added.
The plaintiffs include homeowners, business owners and renters who lost property in the fire and are hoping the damages can help them rebuild and recover their losses.
More and more people affected by the west Maui fires are reaching out to the law firm to file their own lawsuit, Singleton said.
He anticipates a settlement and each person will receive a monetary amount but that a challenge is how much the utility company will be able to pay or possibly go bankrupt.
The plaintiffs of the case were not comfortable commenting on the case but many Maui residents are unhappy with what was done to prevent and alert residents of the fires.
"There still is a lot of uncertainty, I feel on a personal level a lot of anger, I'm not a political person, I love my country, I’m proud to be American but the lack of immediate response and continued response (is frustrating)," said Lianne Driessen, a woman from Lahaina who lost her family home in the fires but is not a plaintiff in the case. "We lost hundreds of people and an entire community."
Others recalled how the power lines were involved during the beginning stages of the fires.
Kyle Ellison, a resident of Kula who is not a plaintiff in the case, saw the fire start in his backyard on Tuesday late morning. “There’s a gulch behind our house, the winds have just been so strong,” he said on Wednesday. He saw some trees fall down and then heard a loud pop, “which we can only assume is an electrical transformer.” A minute later, he lost internet service and then smelt smoke. His house survived but all the houses around his did not.
“I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected]
veryGood! (478)
Related
- College Football Playoff snubs: Georgia among teams with beef after second rankings
- A Second Trump Presidency Could Threaten Already Shrinking Freedoms for Protest and Dissent
- Kevin Durant fires back at Stephen A. Smith over ESPN's personality's criticism
- Chloë Grace Moretz shares she is a 'gay woman' in Kamala Harris endorsement
- Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
- Mountain Dew VooDew 2024: Halloween mystery flavor unveiled and it's not Twizzlers
- Proof Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO Will Be There for Each Other ‘Til the Wheels Fall Off
- In Arizona’s Senate Race, Both Candidates Have Plans to Address Drought. But Only One Acknowledges Climate Change’s Role
- Early Black Friday Deals: 70% Off Apple, Dyson, Tarte, Barefoot Dreams, Le Creuset & More + Free Shipping
- Washington governor OKs massive new wind farm and urges swift turbine approvals
Ranking
- Gerry Faust, the former head football coach at Notre Dame, has died at 89
- Nvidia replaces Intel on the Dow index in AI-driven shift for semiconductor industry
- Lionel Messi's MLS title chase could end in first round. There's no panic from Inter Miami
- Dawson's Creek's James Van Der Beek Shares Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis
- The 15 quickest pickup trucks MotorTrend has ever tested
- Who's hosting 'SNL' tonight? Cast, musical guest, start time, where to watch Nov. 2 episode
- ‘Venom 3’ tops box office again, while Tom Hanks film struggles
- Lifting the Veil on Tens of Billions in Oil Company Payments to Governments
Recommendation
-
Texas’ 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage — for now
-
NASA astronauts to redock SpaceX Dragon at International Space Station: How to watch
-
Harris assails Trump for saying Liz Cheney should have rifles ‘shooting at her’
-
New York Red Bulls eliminate defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in shootout
-
Olivia Munn Randomly Drug Tests John Mulaney After Mini-Intervention
-
Watching Over a Fragile Desert From the Skies
-
Pete Davidson Shows Off Tattoo Removal Transformation During Saturday Night Live Appearance
-
Trump will rally backers every day until the election in North Carolina, a swing state he won twice