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From USA Today: The Maui wildfire that devastated an entire coastal town and killed more than 100 people last year was caused by the “re-energization” of broken power lines that ignited unmaintained vegetation near a utility pole, officials confirmed in their findings released Wednesday.
The Aug. 8, 2023, fire claimed at least 102 lives and destroyed over 2,000 structures in the historic town of Lahaina — making it one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. The blaze, fueled by high winds and dry vegetation, rapidly spread as chaos overtook the town, sending some residents fleeing into the ocean and trapping others in their vehicles.
Authorities initially determined that the flames were caused by severe weather and that strong winds stoked the fires in coastal communities. But in a nearly 300-page report released Wednesday from the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), officials said the devastation was caused by a single fire that was believed to be extinguished but later reignited.
“In sum, the origin and cause of the Lahaina fire is clear: the re-energization of broken power lines caused sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation in the area,” MFD Chief Brad Ventura said during a news conference Wednesday.
The investigation report explained that the original fire started around 6:34 a.m. on Aug 8, sparked when the re-energization of broken power lines set off overgrown grass around a utility pole. Firefighters quickly arrived and had the fire out by 9 a.m. They stayed on the scene for 5 and a half hours, making sure the fire was fully extinguished.
The firefighters left at 2:18 pm, but by 2:52 pm, the fire had reignited and spread to nearby residential areas. They believe there must a been smoldering material that blew into a nearby gully, undetected.
In August of this year, Hawaii’s largest utility, Hawaiian Electric Industries, agreed to pay about half of a more than $4 billion legal settlement that would compensate victims.
There have been multiple investigations into the fire, USA Today writes:
In February, Maui police released a preliminary report on its response to the disaster, which revealed that extreme conditions, misinformation, and widespread confusion affected the emergency response. Two other reports released in April found that communication breakdowns and a lack of preparedness contributed to the fires.
🚨#BREAKING: According to ABC News, investigators from the ATF and the Maui Fire Department have announced that broken power lines, downed electrical lines, and overgrown vegetation were the primary causes of the deadly Maui wildfires, which resulted in widespread devastation and… pic.twitter.com/Gxw95SCJPm
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