HONOLULU–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hawaiian Electrical Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NYSE:) subsidiary Hawaiian Electrical at the moment issued the next response to reviews launched by the Maui Hearth Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) detailing the findings of their investigations into the trigger and origin of the Aug. 8, 2023 Maui windstorm and wildfires:

The fires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui had been horrible tragedies for our state. The loss and ache skilled by our households, neighbors, prospects and staff won’t ever go away our hearts and we’re working with many authorities, group and enterprise companions to maintain our communities protected.

We admire the dedication by the Maui Hearth Division and ATF to conduct thorough investigations into the occasions of Aug. 8. We’ve got been dedicated to transparency and accountability from the beginning and have mentioned that it was necessary to grasp what brought on the hearth and its catastrophic influence to make sure that it by no means occurs once more. To that finish, our firm and our staff have cooperated totally with all authorities investigators, diligently offering requested info whereas aggressively advancing our personal hearth security measures in parallel.

On Aug. 27, 2023, shortly after the fires occurred, we publicly acknowledged that it appeared our gear sparked a fireplace on the morning of Aug. 8. The Maui Hearth Division and ATF decided that the hearth that impacted Lahaina was unintended in nature and largely affirmed the unique understanding of the timeline of occasions as first described by Hawaiian Electrical:

• A fireplace reported at about 6:35 a.m. was attributable to Hawaiian Electrical gear that was broken by excessive winds.
• The Maui County Hearth Division responded to this small hearth, reported it was 100% contained, declared it had been extinguished, after which left the scene.
• A day hearth started in the identical space shortly after their departure and unfold to Lahaina.

The report additionally concluded that the afternoon hearth was a reignition of the morning hearth.

We deeply remorse that our operations contributed to the hearth that ignited within the morning. Confronted by a rare climate occasion and a chaotic scenario, our staff introduced their greatest efforts to their jobs, as they do every single day.

We’ve got appeared intently at our protocols and actions that day and have made many adjustments in our operations and resilience methods to make sure we fulfill our dedication to maintain the general public protected, particularly in excessive climate occasions, which have gotten extra frequent and extreme.

In line with the earlier reviews printed by the Hearth Security Analysis Institute (FSRI) and the state Legal professional Common, the reviews issued by the Maui Hearth Division and the ATF additionally clarify that the devastation in Lahaina resulted from a mix of many elements and the actions of many events. We admire the work of all events who’re working collectively to grasp what occurred and to make our communities safer in a altering atmosphere.

As acknowledged within the Lahaina Hearth Part Two report printed on Sept. 13, 2024: The destruction attributable to the August 2023 fires ¦ resulted from a fancy interplay of contributing elements with root causes going again years. It is important to reiterate, as demonstrated all through this report, that no single issue, or set of things, is instantly liable for the tragic final result.

Wildfires are a statewide and rising nationwide downside whose causes are rooted in local weather change, historical past and land administration. Lowering the chance would require an all-hands strategy. Hawaiian Electrical is doing its half by persevering with to strengthen the resilience of the electrical system. The corporate has already taken important steps to scale back the potential for wildfires, even earlier than these reviews had been launched:

• As a part of our Wildfire Security Technique and broader resilience efforts, Hawaiian Electrical is making greater than $110 million in investments in 2024 to strengthen electrical infrastructure in opposition to excessive climate circumstances, implement enhanced vegetation administration that falls below the utility’s purview and deploy units to assist stop wildfires.
• On July 1, 2024, the corporate launched its Public Security Energy Shutoff (PSPS) program, which can be used as a final line of protection to assist stop utility-related wildfires. In standing up the PSPS program, Hawaiian Electrical has seen that coordination with vital service suppliers and emergency responders and offering advance discover to the general public are important components to make sure public security.
• Hawaiian Electrical is putting in 78 AI-enabled hearth detection cameras and 52 climate stations and sharing information and entry with hearth departments and different businesses.

As a 132-year-old firm and household of staff deeply rooted in HawaiÊ»i, we’re dedicated to being right here for Lahaina, Maui and the whole state for the long run. The worldwide settlement settlement in precept we reached in August is a vital milestone in our collaborative work to help our state’s restoration.

As we transfer ahead, we’ll proceed to work collectively to strengthen our state’s infrastructure and determine options to maintain our communities protected as excessive climate occasions intensify in HawaiÊ»i and throughout the nation.

View supply model on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/information/house/20241002616404/en/

Media Contact
Jim Kelly
808.543.4915
media@hawaiianelectric.com

Supply: Hawaiian Electrical Industries, Inc.