Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for damages from disastrous fires

Electrical wires and telephone poles were downed in Lahaina, Hawaii, after the deadly wildfires. Maui County has filed a lawsuit targeting Hawaiian Electric Company, or HECO, and several of its subsidiaries, seeking “punitive and exemplary damages” and to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the fires.

Claire Harbage/NPR

MAUI, Hawaii — Maui County is suing the Hawaiian Electric Company, alleging that its negligence led to the deadliest U.S. wildfire in the past 100 years. The county suffered an estimated $5.5 billion in damages from fires in Lahaina and Kula — and it says the deadly disaster was preventable.

The civil suit filed Thursday seeks a jury trial. It targets Hawaiian Electric, or HECO, and several related companies, seeking “punitive and exemplary damages” and to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the fires.

HECO is a publicly traded company that accounts for 95% of Hawaii’s electricity customers.

The exact cause of the fires in Maui is being investigated by federal officials. But dozens of Hawaiian Electric’s poles and energized lines were felled by high winds that propelled the fire. Videos posted on social media appeared to show power lines starting fires, and experts have indicated they think the power lines were likely a major factor.

The utility didn’t have a plan to cut power, county says

A house that was destroyed by the wildfire in Lahaina. In a lawsuit, Maui County says the Hawaiian Electric Company should have had a plan to cut off electrical power when conditions got dangerous.

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