Electrical workers repair power lines leading into the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, August 15, 2023.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Electric companies in the western U.S. are facing mounting lawsuits alleging that their failure to prepare for extreme weather has resulted in repeated, catastrophic wildfires that have taken scores of lives and caused billions of dollars in damages.
Hawaiian Electric is the latest utility to face allegations of negligence. Maui County sued the power company for damages on Thursday over its alleged role in the devastating wildfires on Maui this month that have killed more than 100 people and burned the historic town of Lahaina to the ground.
The Maui County complaint is the 12th lawsuit filed against Hawaiian Electric. The suits allege that downed power lines operated by the company contributed to the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
The suits accuse the utility of negligence for failing to shut off power even after the…
2023-08-28 15:12:37
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