The nation's deadliest wildfire, which killed at least 102 people on Maui last year, was a “rekindling” of an early morning blaze “caused by Hawaiian Electric equipment damaged by high winds,” the 132-year-old utility company said Wednesday. admitted.
Firefighters believed they had extinguished the initial wildfire caused by downed power lines, officials confirmed as they announced the results of an investigation into the cause.
On August 8, 2023, a fire occurred in the afternoon in the same area as the fire that occurred that morning. Fueled by erratic high winds, the fire raced through the historic town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of buildings and overwhelming people trapped in cars, forcing some residents to flee to the sea.
“We would like to make it abundantly clear to the community that our firefighters have exercised an abundance of caution to ensure that they are as confident as possible that the fire is completely extinguished before leaving the scene. '' said Maui County Fire and Public Safety Assistant. Commissioner Jeffrey Giesy said at a press conference.
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Maui County Fire and Public Safety Deputy Chief Jeffrey Geese speaks to reporters on Oct. 2, 2024, about the deadly Maui wildfires that have killed at least 102 people. (Facebook/Maui County)
The origin and cause report was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Honolulu field office, Seattle field division and national response team, Maui County officials said on their Facebook page.
Wind is the most likely cause of the fire's flare-up, but investigators cannot rule out other possibilities, according to the ATF report. The bulldozer operator may have unintentionally pushed smoldering debris into the canyon's edge while trying to help firefighters extinguish the fire. It would only burst into flames a few hours later.
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Photos of the victims are displayed under a white cross at the August 2023 Wildfire Victims Memorial on the Lahaina Bypass Expressway in Lahaina, Hawaii, Dec. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Lindsay Wasson, File)
“Because the newly cut firebreak is so close to the western edge of the canyon, investigators unintentionally moved still-burning vegetation and smoldering debris into the canyon while cutting the firebreak. “We cannot rule out the possibility that this may have occurred,” the report states. Said.
The owner of the company that provided the bulldozer told ATF investigators less than two weeks after the fire that he showed up because a friend who lived nearby asked for help. The owner did not respond to several requests for follow-up, the report said. Neither the owner nor the crew were identified in the report.
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On August 8, 2023, the halls of Lahaina's historic Waiola Church and the nearby Lahaina Honganji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainie Street in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, File)
Video taken from inside the bulldozer showed loose soil piling up at the edge of the ditch and burnt vegetation, the report said.
Bulldozers operated by volunteers and contractors are frequently used to protect towns and farms from wildfires across the western United States, but some groups are using them under extreme weather conditions, the Associated Press reports. has questioned the effectiveness of bulldozers.
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Clouds hang over a house destroyed by a wildfire in Kula, Hawaii, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
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Hawaiian Electric Co. said in a statement: “We deeply regret that our business contributed to the fire that occurred this morning.” “We carefully considered our procedures and actions that day and made a number of changes to our operations and recovery strategy to ensure we can deliver on our commitment to protect the public safety, especially during extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and severe. .”
Read the full report on the cause and origin of the fire here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
