Hawaii Wildfire — No One Reason for Losses

A little over a year ago a wildfire tore through Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It destroyed a couple of thousand residents and businesses and killed 102 people.

A report on the fire by the Hawaii attorney general’s office was released late last week. Attorney General Anne Lopez said a number of issues are said to be the cause of the huge losses with no one reason topping the others. The high wind weather, a very old and aging utility infrastructure, a lack of preparedness and communications issues between the emergency responders are to blame.

“This investigation serves as a wake-up call for the state and county governments to learn from the past and urgently prepare for the future,” Lopez said.

No one disagrees much on the cause. Hawaiian Electric says a power line damaged by wind caused a small fire that fire fighters put out. Apparently, the fire wasn’t totally out because later in the day — and fanned by high winds — that fire torched Lahaina.

The results of the investigation by the state of Hawaii, Maui and the Hawaiian Electric Industries that has been prepared by the Fire Safety Research Institute will come after the $4 billion settlement is finalized that resolves the many hundred lawsuits from the fires.

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also done an investigation into the fire’s origin but hasn’t made its findings known.

No one disagrees much on the cause. Hawaiian Electric says a power line damaged by wind caused a small fire that fire fighters put out. Apparently, the fire wasn’t totally out because later in the day — and fanned by high winds — that fire torched Lahaina.

A report by the Hawaii attorney general’s office was released late last week. Attorney General Anne Lopez said a number of issues are said to be the cause with no one reason topping the others. The high wind weather, a very old and aging utility infrastructure, a lack of preparedness and communications issues between the emergency responders are to blame.

“This investigation serves as a wake-up call for the state and county governments to learn from the past and urgently prepare for the future,” Lopez said.

Source link: Insurance Journal — https://bit.ly/3TwM0PW