Videos raise concerns about downed power lines as potential cause of deadly Maui wildfires.
Deadly Wildfire in Maui: A Preventable Tragedy
Awakened by howling winds that tore through his Maui neighborhood, Shane Treu went out at dawn and witnessed a horrifying scene. A downed power lines as potential cause of deadly Maui wildfires.”>wooden power pole suddenly snapped with a flash, sparking and popping as the power line fell to the dry grass below. Within moments, a row of flames ignited, threatening to engulf everything in its path.
Quickly, Treu called 911 and began livestreaming his brave attempt to fight the blaze in Lahaina. Armed with a garden hose, he desperately tried to wet down his property, all while documenting the unfolding disaster on Facebook.
“I heard ‘buzz, buzz,’” the 49-year-old resort worker recounted to The Associated Press. “It was almost like somebody lit a firework. It just ran straight up the hill to a bigger pile of grass and then, with that high wind, that fire was blazing.”
Key Evidence Points to Fallen Utility Lines
Little did Treu know that his video, along with others, would become crucial evidence in the investigation of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. The footage strongly suggests that fallen utility lines may have been the cause of the tragedy. Hawaiian Electric Co. now faces criticism for failing to shut off the power despite high wind warnings and the toppling of numerous poles.
A class-action lawsuit has already been filed, seeking to hold the company accountable for the deaths of more than 100 people. The suit highlights the utility’s own documents, which reveal their awareness of the effectiveness of preemptive power shutoffs in preventing wildfires, a strategy employed in California but never adopted in Hawaii.
“Nobody likes to turn the power off—it’s inconvenient—but any utility that has significant wildfire risk, especially wind-driven wildfire risk, needs to do it and needs to have a plan in place,” said Michael Wara, a wildfire expert from Stanford University. “In this case, the utility did not.”
Hawaiian Electric declined to comment on the accusations in the lawsuit or their history of shutting down power due to high winds. However, President and CEO Shelee Kimura acknowledged the complexity of the decision, considering the impact on individuals relying on medical equipment and firefighters needing power for water pumps.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier expressed frustration at the news conference, highlighting the contradictory complaints from the public. Some demanded earlier power shutoffs, while others lamented the lack of communication due to disrupted cellphone and internet services.
“Do you want notifications or do you want the power shut off?” he said. “You don’t get it both ways.”
Video Footage as Crucial Evidence
Mikal Watts, one of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit, confirmed that he was in Maui, gathering witness testimonies and collecting contemporaneously filmed videos. He emphasized the credible evidence captured in the footage, particularly one video recorded by Shane Treu.
Treu’s livestream, starting just minutes after the first report of the fire, shows the initial response of authorities and the dangerous presence of live power lines. Treu can be heard warning officers about the hazards as he bravely fights the flames with his garden hose.
Another neighbor, Robert Arconado, also recorded videos that provide additional evidence. Arconado’s footage shows a lone firefighter heading towards the spreading flames as they moved downhill and downwind towards the center of town.
While Treu and Arconado’s homes were spared, satellite imagery reveals the devastating destruction of entire neighborhoods downwind from their location. Experts believe that multiple fires may have been ignited in and around Lahaina on that fateful day, with no recorded lightning strikes or other natural causes to explain the blazes.
High Number of Live Wire Incidents
Robert Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, analyzed electrical grid data from sensors installed throughout Maui. These sensors detect sparking power lines and recorded a concerning number of live wire incidents on the night of the fire and the following morning. These incidents, similar to a series of circuit breakers tripping simultaneously, resulted in a significant loss of power.
Marshall explained that while he couldn’t confirm if any of the sparks caused a fire, the sheer number of faults presented numerous opportunities for ignition. The data suggests that any one of these faults could have been an ignition source for the devastating wildfire.
After the tragic Camp Fire in California, which claimed 85 lives due to downed power lines, Pacific Gas & Electric paid over $13.5 billion in compensation to fire victims. State regulators implemented new measures to prevent similar disasters.
As the investigation into the Maui wildfire continues, the video footage captured by brave individuals like Shane Treu and Robert Arconado serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proactive measures to prevent such tragedies. The question remains: Could this deadly fire have been avoided?
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