During the early moments of the Maui fires, high winds brought down power poles, causing electrified wires to come into contact with the dry grass below. This incident caused the flames to erupt in long, neat rows.
Upon analysis of videos and images by The Associated Press, it was confirmed that these wires were a bare, uninsulated metal that could spark contact.
Hawaiian Electric Co. left miles of line naked to the weather and often-thick foliage, despite a recent push by utilities in other wildfire and hurricane-prone areas to cover up their lines or bury them. Experts noted that insulated wire would not have arced and sparked, igniting a line of flame. Hawaiian Electric has faced criticism for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings and keeping it on even as dozens of poles began to topple.
What Ignited the Maui Fire
According to experts who watched videos of the Maui fire, insulated power lines would not have sparked and ignited a line of flame like the bare ones did.
Hawaiian Electric stated that it had spent millions of dollars to respond to the unique threats from climate change. However, it did not confirm whether or not the specific power lines that collapsed were bare.
The company has been executing a resilience strategy to meet these challenges and has spent significant money to strengthen and harden its grid and manage vegetation. However, a former Hawaii Public Utilities Commission member confirmed that many of Maui’s wooden power poles were in poor condition. Lawyers are now suing Hawaiian Electric on behalf of one person and talking to many more about their rights.
The aftermath of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century has left Hawaiian Electric facing new lawsuits.
Currently, the number of confirmed dead stands at 115, and the county expects that number to increase. Per court order, lawyers are preparing to inspect some electrical equipment from a neighborhood where the fire originated as soon as next week. Still, they will be doing that in a warehouse. The utility has removed the burnt poles and fallen wires from the site.
Eliminating Uninsulated Wire in Fire Zones
Hawaiian Electric has made strides in eliminating uninsulated wire in fire zones, covering over 1,200 miles of line. PG&E has also committed to burying 10,000 miles of electrical cable, burying 180 miles in 2022. It is ready to do 350 miles this year.
Southern California Edison expects to have replaced more than 7,200 miles, or about 75% of its overhead distribution lines. These wires will cover high-fire-risk areas by the end of 2025. Hawaiian Electric has looked at the wildfire plans of utilities in California. It supports the use of bare metal conductors high up on power poles.
Despite this, the ratepayer group The Utility Reform Network in California is pushing for PG&E to insulate its lines in high-risk areas and prevent utility-caused wildfires. The U.S. electrical grid needs to be better prepared for protracted droughts and high winds, said Joshua Rhodes, an energy systems research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. Hawaiian Electric is facing lawsuits over the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century, with lawyers calling it a “preventable tragedy of epic proportions.”
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Hawaiian Electric Facing New Lawsuits Over Maui Fire
Lawyers are calling this a “preventable tragedy of epic proportions.” Paul Starita, lead counsel on three lawsuits, said, “It all comes back to money. They might say it takes a long time to get the permitting process done. OK, start sooner. I mean, people’s lives are on the line. You’re responsible. Spend the money, do your job.”
Hawaiian Electric has been criticized for not shutting off the power amid high wind warnings and keeping it on even as dozens of poles began to topple. Maui County recently sued Hawaiian Electric over this issue.
Michael Jacobs, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, stated that power lines causing fires in the United States are becoming a new pattern. He added, “We don’t have a new safety regime to go with it.”
Insulating an electrical wire prevents arcing and sparking and dissipates heat. Other utilities have been addressing the issue of bare wire. Pacific Gas & Electric was found responsible for the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California that killed 85 people. Downed power lines caused the disaster.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Sources:
Star Adviser: Bare electrical wire leaning poles on Maui were possible causes of deadly fires; By Jennifer McDermott, Bernard Condon, and Michael Biesecker
CNBC: Bare electrical wire leaning poles were a possible cause of deadly Maui fires
9News: Bare electrical wire and leaning poles on Maui were possible cause of deadly fires
Featured and Top Image by Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Foster Courtesy of Department of Defense – Public Domain License
Inset Image by Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Foster Courtesy of Department of Defense – Public Domain License
