Fallen utility poles outside a gas station on Lahainaluna Road in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 21, 2023. Hawaii’s electric utility did not respond quickly to the first alerts of its power lines breaking before the deadly Maui fire last August, according to a new timeline report by the Hawaii attorney general’s office, a lapse that experts say may have contributed
Had the utility followed standard practice to dispatch a repair crew and visually inspect that broken pole, “they never should have re-energized that line at 6:07 a.m. thereby causing the fire,” said Robertson, an attorney representing families who lost homes and loved ones in the blaze. “This horrible tragedy was entirely avoidable, in my opinion.”Residents told The Post they were awakened by an arc flash and strong winds in the early hours of Aug. 8.
Other Maui County agencies maintained normal staffing and did not preposition employees for the increased risks, the report revealed, underscoring the island’s lack of preparedness. The fire department, the police department and the water department were all normally staffed on Aug. 7, the report said. Hawaiian Electric maintained normal staffing as well.That report revealed that relief vehicles lacked standard equipment, adding to delays in deploying them.
In addition, the Maui Fire Department does not have any fire hand crews that could perform fuels-mitigation work, the report noted.The two reports come as Maui residents continue to seek answers on basic questions about the disaster.
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