Oct 02, 2024
HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The long-awaited ATF report concluded that the Lahaina fire was started by one fire by re-energization. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You "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. Exactly how this fire rekindled in the afternoon is considered undetermined with multiple plausible hypotheses fitting the known data," said MFD Chief Brad Ventura in the news conference releasing the details of the report. The report stated that the fire was caused by a single fire at utility pole 25 off of Lahainaluna Road, that started at 6:34 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023. The fire proceeded in two phases, with the first concluding just after 2 p.m. when fire crews left the scene of that fire after all indications showed that the fire had been fully contained and extinguished. Why weren’t the emergency sirens sounded during the Lahaina fires? At 2:52 p.m. a rekindle event occurred in a gully adjacent to the previous burn area. "A piece of smoldering material hidden in the unmanaged vegetation in the adjacent gully was fueled and reignited by a severe wind event and the fire resumed with disastrous consequences." The fire, which killed more than 100 people, is classified as accidental. HECO released a statement on the ATF report, which reads in part: "On Aug. 27, 2023, shortly after the fires occurred, we publicly stated that it appeared our equipment sparked a fire on the morning of Aug. 8. The Maui Fire Department and ATF determined that the fire that impacted Lahaina was accidental in nature and largely affirmed the original understanding of the timeline of events as first described by Hawaiian Electric: A fire reported at about 6:35 a.m. was caused by Hawaiian Electric equipment that was damaged by high winds. The Maui County Fire Department responded to this small fire, reported it was “100% contained,” declared it had been “extinguished,” and then left the scene. An afternoon fire began in the same area shortly after their departure and spread to Lahaina. The report also concluded that the afternoon fire was a reignition of the morning fire. We deeply regret that our operations contributed to the fire that ignited in the morning. Confronted by an extraordinary weather event and a chaotic situation, our employees brought their best efforts to their jobs, as they do every day." Surprises were not expected as Governor Green and attorneys representing victims gave a preview of what experts have said caused the fire. Governor Green said Monday on Wake Up 2Day that reignition caused the fire. “Our investigation determined that the fire started when a termite-infested pole snapped under the force of the wind and then HECO turned back on the power without first determining whether it was safe, which caused a fire,” said Aaron Creps from Leavitt, Yamane and Soldner. Excitement forms for Maui Invitational’s return home Experts found a series of other errors and oversights that may have contributed to the spread, including a lack of "electrical utility vegetation abatement" at the base of utility poles and near transmission lines, according to the Attorney Generalʻs investigation. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here “I don’t think you’re going to find a single point of blame per say,” Green said. “I think everyone has responsibility. That’s why the settlement of $4 billion was agreed to and why it needs to go forward.”
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