The lawsuit, filed in the Second Circuit Court in Hawaii, claimed the electric company failed “to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment.
Other utility companies, Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric, are named in the lawsuit as examples of a proper shut-off plan that prevented damages and saved lives, emphasizing Hawaiian Electric should've followed suit. Hawaiian Electric said during a press conference last week that unlike California, Oregon, and Nevada, the state doesn't have a formal shut-off plan in place.On Aug. 12, Lahaina residents filed a class action lawsuit against the utility company for keeping the power lines on as the fires broke out.
The fires in the Lahaina and Kula communities caused between $4 billion and $6 billion in damage to Hawaii's economy, according to the risk modeling and solutions company Moody's RMS.