Maui accuses Hawaii Electric of causing catastrophic wildfire in new lawsuit
Wailuku, Hawaii - Maui County is suing Hawaiian Electric for allegedly causing the deadly wildfires that ravaged the island earlier this month.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, accuses the company of acting negligently by not powering down their equipment after the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning on August 7.
The suit blames Hawaiian Electric for causing the wildfires after its power lines were downed by high winds and ignited the dry grass and brush in historic town of Lahaina.
At least 115 people were killed and thousands were displaced by the catastrophic wildfires, which spread quickly and left officials and residents with precious little time to prepare or escape.
They have since become the deadliest wildfires in the US in over a century. The death toll is expected to rise as the FBI confirmed that between 1,000 and 1,100 remain unaccounted for more than two weeks after the blaze ripped through the city.
"Maui County stands alongside the people and communities of Lāhainā and Kula to recover public resource damages and rebuild after these devastating utility-caused fires. These damages include losses to public infrastructure, fire response costs, losses to revenues, increased costs, environmental damages, and losses of historical or cultural landmarks," the county said in a statement.
Victims of the wildfires have also sued Hawaiian Electric.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has said last week that her office will conduct a "comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies" before and during the wildfires, but the investigation is not considered a criminal probe.
Cover photo: REUTERS