Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources/Reuters
A lawsuit filed against a utility company in Hawaii alleges that electrified power lines brought down in high winds led to the spread of the devastating wildfire that destroyed Lahaina. The suit filed on Saturday alleges that Hawaiian Electric Industries, the state’s main electric provider, “chose not to deenergize their power lines during the High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning conditions for Maui before the Lahaina Fire started,” despite being aware of the risks. “These power lines foreseeably ignited the fast-moving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which destroyed homes, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites,” the lawsuit alleges. Hawaiian Electric Industries vice president Jim Kelly told CNN that they “don’t comment on pending litigation.” On Sunday evening, Maui Police Department said 96 fatalities have so far been confirmed as a result of the disaster.
