Legal
Hawaiian Utility Sued by Homeowner Over Lahaina Fire
- Lawsuit says poles blown over dropped live lines on dry grass
- Hawaii officials say blaze damages could top $5.6 billion
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The Hawaiian power company in the crosshairs after wildfires ripped through parts of Maui faces a new lawsuit blaming its equipment for starting blazes that claimed more than 100 lives and wreaked billions of dollars in damages.
Witnesses say some of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.’s power poles blew over during an Aug. 8 storm and downed power lines ignited grass fires that quickly mushroomed into a conflagration that destroyed much of the town of Lahaina as well as nearby properties, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of an owner of several destroyed homes.