Historic Hawaiian town reduced to ash by wildfires
Lahaina, Hawaii, resident Jordan Saribay recounts the harrowing moments as his family fled the wildfires that have devastated Maui.
A Hawaiian couple is suing four power companies and accusing them of ignoring weather warnings amid the historic Maui wildfires that have killed at least 93 people.
The main plaintiffs, Monica and Rede Eder, own a house in the historic town of Lahaina, which was decimated by the wildfire. Their suit is "on behalf of a class and subclasses of all persons similarly situated."
The suit targets Hawaiian Electric Industries, which is the parent company of HECO, MECO and HELCO.
The lawsuit accuses the power companies of ignoring weather warnings and keeping their power lines energized despite the dangerous conditions. The plaintiffs say the companies "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during forecasted high fire danger conditions."
This photo shows burned areas in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 11, 2023. (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP)
According to the suit, the National Weather Service had issued a High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warning, cautioning that energized power lines could make a fire develop more rapidly.
The suit alleges that by acting improperly during the historically dangerous conditions, the companies "caused loss of life, serious injuries, destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses, displacement of thousands of people, and damage to many of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites."
"Scores of people burned to death," the suit says. "Other victims suffered severe burns, smoke inhalation and additional serious injuries."
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In a statement to Fox News, Hawaiian Electic spokesperson Jim Kelley said, "As has always been our policy, we don’t comment on pending litigation. Our immediate focus is on supporting emergency response efforts on Maui and restoring power for our customers and communities as quickly as possible. At this early stage, the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review."
Fire and smoke fill the sky from wildfires at the intersection at Hokiokio Place and Lahaina Bypass in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 8, 2023. (Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP)
The current death count across Maui is 93, which is expected to increase as emergency responders sort through the ruins. The estimated cost of damage is $6 billion.
"We’ve got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles, and it is full of our loved ones," Maui Police Chief John Pelletier told the Associated Press.
At least two other fires are burning on Maui: one in south Maui's Kihei area and one in the Upcountry. No other fatalities have been confirmed yet, but at least 1,000 people are missing.
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames on Aug. 8, 2023. (Matthew Thayer/Maui News via AP)
Gov. Josh Green attributed the wildfire's unique destructiveness to winds from Hurricane Dora and dry conditions on Maui.
"When fire jumped from one spot to another – there were three or four fires going on at the same time – it got seeded very quickly with those 80 mph gusted winds," Green said on MSNBC. "And then the fire moved at essentially a mile per minute, 60 mph down through the community."
Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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