Hawaiian Electric says power lines did not cause deadly Maui blaze, blames county firefighters

  • 📰 NBCLA
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 39 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 19%
  • Publisher: 59%

Australia Australia Headlines News

Australia Australia Latest News,Australia Australia Headlines

Maui County has brought a lawsuit against the utility company claiming that it did not shut off its power lines despite the high winds and dry conditions.

"That’s the biggest problem," Fried said Monday. “They can dance around this all they want. But there’s no explanation for that.”

“By taking responsibility for causing the first fire, then pointing the finger on a fire that started 75 yards away and saying, 'That's not our fault, we started it but they should've put it out,' I'm not sure how that will hold up,” Morgan, who manages complex litigation, said Monday. “It's also so premature because there are ongoing investigations.”

A twister and a new brush fire could be seen from a hotel balcony in Kaanapali, just north of Lahaina in Maui. Hawaiian Electric said its own crews then went to the scene that afternoon to make repairs and did not see fire, smoke or embers. The power to the area was off. Shortly before 3 p.m., those crews saw a small fire in a nearby field and called 911, the utility said.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 319. in AU

Australia Australia Latest News, Australia Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Hawaiian Electric calls Maui county's wildfire lawsuit 'irresponsible' By ReutersHawaiian Electric calls Maui county's wildfire lawsuit 'irresponsible'
Source: Investingcom - 🏆 450. / 53 Read more »

Hawaiian Electric points finger at Maui County over devastating wildfires, stock jumps 40%Hawaiian Electric said power lines toppled by high winds likely caused the morning fire in Lahaina but electricity was off when a second fire occurred.
Source: NBCPhiladelphia - 🏆 569. / 51 Read more »

Maui County says Hawaiian Electric caused deadly blazes in new lawsuitThe utility now faces several suits alleging it’s to blame for the devastation.
Source: verge - 🏆 94. / 67 Read more »

Hawaiian Electric shares surge on Maui wildfire update, pushback against county’s lawsuitHawaiian Electric's stock surged by more than 44% during Monday's trading session as the utility released an update on its response to the deadly Maui wildfires and pushed back on a lawsuit.
Source: FoxBusiness - 🏆 458. / 53 Read more »

Hawaiian Electric says power lines were 'de-energized' hours before Maui wildfireMaui County alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that Hawaiian Electric was negligent because it failed to power down its equipment despite the weather conditions and warnings.
Source: NBCNewsHealth - 🏆 707. / 51 Read more »

Hawaiian Electric denies Maui lawsuit claims about cause of wildfire, shares surgeHawaiian Electric's shares jumped nearly 40% on Monday after the electric utility said it was not responsible for the wildfires in Maui earlier this month, saying its power lines had been shut for hours prior to the deadliest blaze that devastated the island.
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »