>>19405320 (lb)
>>19405334 (lb)
https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/hecos-fire-response-plan-lacked-a-critical-step-shutting-down-power/
Hawaiian Electric Co., whose transmission lines run all across Maui, did not shut down the power in Lahaina ahead of this week’s deadly and devastating fires, a technique has been used in California and other places prone to wildfires.
Nor did the utility have a formal plan to shut down large parts of the grid, according to company officials.
The company said it did take other, more limited steps to deal with the fierce winds and red flag warning of extreme fire weather.
Nonetheless, some 29 fully energized poles fell across roads in West Maui that day. While it’s still not clear what caused the fires that began Tuesday, hitting Lahaina hardest, authorities have said those poles stifled access to the fire zone and prevented many from evacuating.
https://time.com/6305095/hawaiian-electric-wildfires-lawsuit/
Though an official cause of the wildfire has not been reached, Lahaina residents filed a class action lawsuit against the utility company, alleging that, in the days before the fires broke out, the company “chose not to deenergize their power lines during the High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning conditions for Maui before the Lahaina Fire started.” The filing also claims that the company failed to shut off power lines even after the fires began.
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23908931/hawaiian-electric-lawsuit.pdf