Hawaiian Electric is under scrutiny for not shutting off the power during a windstorm four days before racing wildfires swept through the Maui town of Lahaina.
Global Empowerment Mission President and founder Michael Capponi says the biggest need for displaced Hawaiians is getting them out of shelters and into 'stabilized' housing.
The utility company, which oversees Maui Electric and provides service to 95% of the state’s residents, reportedly did not utilize the "public power shutoff plan," a preemptive strategy dictating power companies shut off electricity in areas where strong enough winds could spark fires, according to the Washington Post.
"The decision to avoid shutting off power is reflective of the utility’s struggles to bolster its aging and vulnerable infrastructure against wildfires," Lahaina resident and former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Jennifer Potter said, according to the Post. "They were not as proactive as they should have been," Potter said about Hawaiian Electric’s fire-prevention planning.Hawaiian Electric was hit with two lawsuits by residents of the state who claim it is responsible for the wildfires that killed at least 96 people. The proposed class action lawsuits were filed on Saturday in state courts and seek to represent thousands of Hawaii residents affected by the devastating fires that left thousands homeless and Lahaina in ruins.
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