HONOLULU–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hawaiian Electrical Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NYSE:) subsidiary Hawaiian Electrical at this time issued the next response to studies launched by the Maui Hearth Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) detailing the findings of their investigations into the trigger and origin of the Aug. 8, 2023 Maui windstorm and wildfires:
The fires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui have been horrible tragedies for our state. The loss and ache skilled by our households, neighbors, clients and staff won’t ever depart our hearts and we’re working with many authorities, group and enterprise companions to maintain our communities secure.
We recognize the dedication by the Maui Hearth Division and ATF to conduct thorough investigations into the occasions of Aug. 8. We’ve been dedicated to transparency and accountability from the beginning and have stated that it was essential to grasp what precipitated the fireplace and its catastrophic influence to make sure that it by no means occurs once more. To that finish, our firm and our staff have cooperated totally with all authorities investigators, diligently offering requested data whereas aggressively advancing our personal hearth security measures in parallel.
On Aug. 27, 2023, shortly after the fires occurred, we publicly said that it appeared our tools sparked a hearth on the morning of Aug. 8. The Maui Hearth Division and ATF decided that the fireplace that impacted Lahaina was unintentional in nature and largely affirmed the unique understanding of the timeline of occasions as first described by Hawaiian Electrical:
- A fireplace reported at about 6:35 a.m. was brought on by Hawaiian Electrical tools that was broken by excessive winds.
- The Maui County Hearth Division responded to this small hearth, reported it was 100% contained, declared it had been extinguished, after which left the scene.
- A day hearth started in the identical space shortly after their departure and unfold to Lahaina.
The report additionally concluded that the afternoon hearth was a reignition of the morning hearth.
We deeply remorse that our operations contributed to the fireplace that ignited within the morning. Confronted by a unprecedented climate occasion and a chaotic scenario, our staff introduced their finest efforts to their jobs, as they do on daily basis.
We’ve seemed intently at our protocols and actions that day and have made many adjustments in our operations and resilience methods to make sure we fulfill our dedication to maintain the general public secure, particularly in excessive climate occasions, which have gotten extra frequent and extreme.
In step with the earlier studies printed by the Hearth Security Analysis Institute (FSRI) and the state Legal professional Basic, the studies issued by the Maui Hearth Division and the ATF additionally clarify that the devastation in Lahaina resulted from a mix of many elements and the actions of many events. We recognize the work of all events who’re working collectively to grasp what occurred and to make our communities safer in a altering setting.
As said within the Lahaina Hearth Section Two report printed on Sept. 13, 2024: The destruction brought on by the August 2023 fires ¦ resulted from a fancy interplay of contributing elements with root causes going again years. It’s critical to reiterate, as demonstrated all through this report, that no single issue, or set of things, is straight accountable for the tragic final result.
Wildfires are a statewide and rising nationwide downside whose causes are rooted in local weather change, historical past and land administration. Decreasing the danger would require an all-hands method. Hawaiian Electrical is doing its half by persevering with to strengthen the resilience of the electrical system. The corporate has already taken vital steps to cut back the potential for wildfires, even earlier than these studies have been launched:
- As a part of our Wildfire Security Technique and broader resilience efforts, Hawaiian Electrical is making greater than $110 million in investments in 2024 to strengthen electrical infrastructure in opposition to excessive climate circumstances, implement enhanced vegetation administration that falls beneath the utility’s purview and deploy units to assist forestall wildfires.
- On July 1, 2024, the corporate launched its Public Security Energy Shutoff (PSPS) program, which can be used as a final line of protection to assist forestall utility-related wildfires. In standing up the PSPS program, Hawaiian Electrical has seen that coordination with crucial service suppliers and emergency responders and offering advance discover to the general public are important parts to make sure public security.
- Hawaiian Electrical is putting in 78 AI-enabled hearth detection cameras and 52 climate stations and sharing information and entry with hearth departments and different businesses.
As a 132-year-old firm and household of staff deeply rooted in HawaiÊ»i, we’re dedicated to being right here for Lahaina, Maui and your entire state for the long run. The worldwide settlement settlement in precept we reached in August is a vital milestone in our collaborative work to assist our state’s restoration.
As we transfer ahead, we are going to proceed to work collectively to strengthen our state’s infrastructure and determine options to maintain our communities secure as excessive climate occasions intensify in HawaiÊ»i and throughout the nation.
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Media Contact
Jim Kelly
808.543.4915
media@hawaiianelectric.com
Supply: Hawaiian Electrical Industries, Inc.