Hawaii’s biggest power utility faces growing scrutiny for the role it might have played in the deadliest wildfire in modern American history, including detailed allegations in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that it was negligent and knowingly failed to take proper action to prevent catastrophe.
The lawsuit, first obtained by NBC News, alleges that Hawaiian Electric helped set the stage for the monstrous wildfires last week. The plaintiffs accuse the utility company of years of inaction and negligence, and argue that it should have had plans in place to shut down power systems before fierce winds blew across Hawaii.
“Hawaiian Electric is not just responsible and they weren’t just negligent,” said Mikal Watts, a lead attorney on the case. “They were grossly negligent by making conscious decisions to delay grid modernization projects that would have prevented this very tragedy.”
Three other lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the fire that were reviewed by NBC News make similar claims against the company, which provides electricity to 95% of the state.
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Hawaiian Electric Co. declined to comment on the pending lawsuits, saying that would violate an internal policy. Darren Pai, a spokesperson for the company, said Hawaiian Electric was aware of the allegations but remained focused on restoring power to Maui. He emphasized that “the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review.”
Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.
