Maui County has taken legal action against several electric companies due to the tragic fires that swept the area.
The lawsuit filed this week aims at the institutions for failing to act accordingly when a red flag warning was issued on August 7th. The alert, which the National Weather Service administered, made the organizations aware of hot temperatures and powerful winds that could increase the risk of blazes. However, they failed to manually shut down power even when they knew the threats.
ABC News obtained the lawsuit documents, which name Maui Electric Company, Limited, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Hawaiʻi Electric Light Company, Inc., and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. Per the report, all were aware that winds would “topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation.” Still, they each failed to keep trees and shrubs trimmed and electrical lines properly repaired to prevent wildfires despite an increased risk due to the current drought. These factors combined resulted in the flames, which have claimed the lives of at least 115 people, with hundreds still unaccounted for.
This latest string of backlash comes as top officials are being investigated for failing to protect residents as the fires rapidly spread throughout the island. Herman Andaya resigned from his Chief position in the county’s emergency management division after extreme criticism for failing to activate warning sirens when the fires first began, even though he knew they were occurring. He initially claimed he didn’t use the notification system because he feared people would flee towards the danger. Upon quitting, he listed his basis for resignation as “health reasons” and has not further commented on the matter.
The fires have destroyed over 3,000 acres and 2,200 buildings. Moody’s Analytics estimates the disaster has caused anywhere from $4 billion to $6 billion in financial losses.
