By Tyler Durden

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. surged as much as 43% in premarket trading in New York after the utility released a statement: their power lines were de-energized for more than six hours in Lahaina when the “Afternoon Fire” broke out on Aug. 8 that ultimately leveled the resort town in West Maui.

Just last week, Maui County slapped Hawaiian Electric with a lawsuit, accusing the utility of negligence that sparked the devastating wildfire that leveled Lahaina and killed more than 100 people, with hundreds still missing.

“We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation,” said Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric.

Kimura said,

We believe the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible. It is inconsistent with the path that we believe we should pursue as a resilient community committed and accountable to each other as well as to Hawaiʻi’s future. We continue to stand ready to work to that end with our communities and others. Unfortunately, the county’s lawsuit may leave us no choice in the legal system but to show its responsibility for what happened that day.

Shares of Hawaiian Electric surged as much as 43% in premarket trading.

But still well down from the start of the fire…

Hawaiian Electric outlines important facts about what happened on Aug. 8:

• A fire at 6:30 a.m. (the “Morning Fire”) appears to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds.


• The Maui County Fire Department responded to this fire, reported it was “100% contained,” left the scene and later declared it had been “extinguished.”


• At about 3 p.m., a time when all of Hawaiian Electric’s power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours, a second fire (the “Afternoon Fire”) began in the same area.


• The cause of the devastating Afternoon Fire has not been determined.

The utility provided more details about the fire:

• The records conclusively establish that Hawaiian Electric power lines to Lahaina were not energized when the Afternoon Fire broke out shortly before 3 p.m. on Aug. 8, in a field near Lahaina Intermediate School. Power had been out for more than six hours by that time. There was no electricity flowing through the wires in the area or anywhere else on the West Maui coast. Hawaiian Electric has informed ATF investigators of the availability of records that demonstrate these facts.


• The small Morning Fire, seen in videos taken by local residents, began more than eight hours earlier. Those videos show that power lines had fallen to the ground in high winds near the intersection of Lahainaluna Road and Hoʻokahua Street at approximately 6:30 a.m. A small fire that can be seen by the downed lines spread into the field across the street from the Intermediate School.


• The Maui County Fire Department responded promptly to the Morning Fire. According to the Department’s public statement that morning, by 9 a.m. the Morning Fire was “100% contained.” The Maui County fire chief subsequently reported that the Fire Department had determined that the Morning Fire was “extinguished,” and the Fire Department left the scene by 2 p.m.


• Once the fire was out, Hawaiian Electric emergency crews arrived at Lahainaluna Road in the afternoon of Aug. 8 to make repairs; they saw no fire or smoke or embers. All lines to Lahaina remained de-energized and all power in the area remained off.


• Shortly before 3 p.m., while the power remained off, our crew members saw a small fire about 75 yards away from Lahainaluna Road in the field near the Intermediate School. They immediately called 911 and reported that fire.


• By the time the Maui County Fire Department arrived back on the scene, it was not able to contain the Afternoon Fire and it spread out of control toward Lahaina.

“The county’s lawsuit distracts from the important work that needs to be done for the people of Lahaina and Maui,” said Scott Seu, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric.

What distraction could that be?

More Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii Victims Speak Out. They Are Telling The World What Happened Was NOT Natural, NOTHING That Happened Was A “Coincidence”