Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for damages from disastrous fires

The utility didn't have a plan to cut power, county saysA house that was destroyed by the wildfire in Lahaina. In a lawsuit, Maui County says the Hawaiian Electric Company should have had a plan to cut off electrical power when conditions got dangerous.

"The practice of deenergizing power lines during fire weather conditions is common in the Western United States," the lawsuit states. It notes that large utilities in wildfire-prone California have implemented"Public Safety Power Shutoff" plans to prevent fires during high-risk conditions.Survivors of the fire in Lahaina have also said

In an emailed statement to NPR about the county's lawsuit, Hawaiian Electric emphasized that its focus has been on supporting"not just the people of Maui, but also Maui County."

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Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for damages from disastrous firesThe civil suit filed Thursday seeks a jury trial and 'punitive and exemplary damages' to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the deadly wildfires.
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