{"id":2000148,"date":"2023-08-14T15:01:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T19:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/power-companies-accused-in-lawsuit-of-ignoring-warnings-before-maui-wildfires\/"},"modified":"2023-08-14T15:05:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T19:05:41","slug":"power-companies-accused-in-lawsuit-of-ignoring-warnings-before-maui-wildfires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/power-companies-accused-in-lawsuit-of-ignoring-warnings-before-maui-wildfires\/","title":{"rendered":"Power companies sued for ignoring warnings prior to Maui wildfires."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpower-companies-accused-in-lawsuit-of-ignoring-warnings-before-maui-wildfires%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2000148&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A Lawsuit Alleges Power Lines Triggered Devastating\u2062 Wildfire in Hawaii<\/h2>\n<p>A\u2063 lawsuit filed against\u200d Hawaii utility companies\u2063 alleges that power lines brought down in \u2063high winds \u200btriggered the spread of\u2064 a devastating wildfire that destroyed\u2064 much of Lahaina, Maui.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit, filed over the past weekend\u2063 against four power \u200ccompanies,\u2063 alleges that\u2064 the \u2062firms &#8220;failed to deenergize their \u2064power lines\u2064 prior to \u2062the\u200c fire, despite warnings days\u2063 before that high \u2063winds from Hurricane Dora would \u200dcreate a &#8216;high fire danger,'&#8221; according to \u2062a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jfk-most-popular-recent-former-president-poll-finds\/\" title=\"Poll finds JFK is the most popular recent former president.\">news\u200d release<\/a> from \u200da \u2062law firm representing victims and\u2063 survivors of the fire.\u200b The four companies\u200d named in the lawsuit include Maui Electric\u2064 Company, Hawaiian Electric \u200dCompany, Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Hawaiian Electric Industries.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThese power lines foreseeably\u2063 ignited \u2062the fast-moving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which destroyed homes, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites,\u201d the lawsuit\u2062 alleges, according to multiple reports.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Officials Investigate Cause\u2064 of Wildfire<\/h3>\n<p>Officials\u2062 have not yet determined the\u200d cause of the\u2063 wildfire that left\u2062 at least 96 people dead and scores more missing. The National Weather Service \u2062previously\u200c issued a\u2062 warning that winds \u2062from \u200dHurricane Dora could trigger fire weather conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Hawaiian Electric Vice\u2063 President Jim Kelly told news outlets that the firm has a \u200bpolicy of not \u200bcommenting on \u200dpending litigation. However, he added that the firm doesn&#8217;t \u2062have a formal shutoff program in \u200dplace.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cOur\u2064 immediate focus is\u2062 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/power-companies-accused-in-lawsuit-of-ignoring-warnings-before-maui-wildfires\/\" title=\"Power companies sued for ignoring warnings prior to Maui wildfires.\">supporting emergency response efforts<\/a> on Maui and restoring power for our \u200bcustomers\u200c and communities as quickly as possible. At this early stage, the\u2064 cause of the \u2062fire has not been\u2062 determined and we will \u200cwork with the state and county as they conduct their review,\u201d Mr. \u200dKelly said, adding, \u201cElectricity powers the pumps that provide the\u2064 water \u2062needed for firefighting.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Monday, shares of Hawaiian Electric dropped more than\u2064 35 percent\u200c following the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>Wells\u200d Fargo lowered its price\u2062 target on the utility&#8217;s stock to $25 per share, down from $35 on Sunday, according to CNBC.<\/p>\n<h2>Investigation and Potential Liability<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhile it remains unclear \u2062if any of HE\u2019s \u200bequipment \u2062directly\u200c caused any of \u200dthe wildfires, we believe \u2063it\u200c prudent\u2063 to account for the risk given recent wildfire-related claims in\u200d CA, CO &#038; OR \u200bthat have\u2063 all exceeded $1B, HE is already being \u2062scrutinized and our understanding of HI\u2019s liability standards,\u201d Wells Fargo \u2064analyst \u2062Jonathan\u2064 Reeder wrote \u2063in\u2062 a note Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Hawaiian Electric\u2019s liability \u2062could revolve &#8220;around a \u2063reasonableness of care\u200b when determining negligence, a lower burden for plaintiffs to prove than say\u2063 a gross \u2064negligence standard,&#8221; Mr. Reeder wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Hawaii Attorney General Anne\u2064 Lopez \u200clast week\u200b announced an investigation into the\u200b causes of the devastating wildfire and any \u200bpossible shortcomings by agencies and officials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy \u200cDepartment is committed to\u2063 understanding the decisions \u200dthat were made \u2063before and during the \u200cwildfires and to\u2063 sharing with the public the results of this review,\u201d Ms. Lopez said in a statement. \u201cAs we continue to support all aspects of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/propublica-race-neutral-traffic-cameras-still-racist-more-tickets-for-majority-black-zip-codes\/\" title=\"ProPublica: 'Race-Neutral' Traffic Cameras Still Racist \u2014 More Tickets for Majority-Black ZIP Codes\">ongoing relief effort<\/a>, now is the time to begin this process of understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Updates on the Wildfire<\/h2>\n<p>It comes as \u2062Hawaii\u2019s governor\u2064 warned that scores more people could be found dead following the Maui wildfires as search crews \u200cgo street by\u200c street through neighborhoods \u2062where \u200bthe flames galloped\u200c as fast as a mile a minute across the landscape.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2063 are prepared for many tragic stories,\u201d Gov. \u2063Josh Green told \u201cCBS Mornings\u201d\u2063 in a recorded interview that was aired Monday. \u201cThey will find 10 to 20 \u2064people per day, probably, until they finish. And\u200b it\u2019s probably going to take 10 days. It\u2019s impossible to guess, really.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As cellphone service\u2063 has slowly been \u200drestored,\u2062 the\u200c number of people missing dropped to about 1,300 from over 2,000, Mr. Green said. Twenty cadaver dogs and dozens of searchers\u2064 are making\u200d their way through blocks reduced\u200d to ash.<\/p>\n<p>The blaze that swept into centuries-old Lahaina nearly \u200ba week ago destroyed nearly every\u2064 building in\u200c the\u200c town of 13,000, leaving \u200ca grid\u2063 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-crews-work-to-tally-deaths-from-hawaii-wildfires-death-toll-expected-to-rise\/\" title=\"Search teams are counting deaths from Hawaii wildfires, expecting an increase in the death toll.\">gray rubble wedged<\/a> between the\u2064 blue\u200b ocean and\u200d lush green slopes.\u2064 That fire has been 85 percent contained, according to\u2063 the county.<\/p>\n<p>Another blaze known as the Upcountry \u200bfire has been 60 percent contained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A lawsuit accuses Hawaii utility companies of causing a destructive wildfire in Lahaina, Maui. The suit claims that power lines brought down by strong winds were not deactivated, despite prior warnings. Filed against four power companies, it seeks accountability for their alleged failure to prevent the fire&#8217;s spread.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":2000149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2000148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}