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WILDFIRE LITIGATION ATTORNEYS SERVING MAUI

The Maui Wildfires, also called the Lahaina Fire, Olinda Fire and Kula Fire have destroyed thousands of homes and other structures. The main Maui wildfire burned much of the community of Lahaina where more than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed, including much of the downtown Lahaina Historic District on Front Street. 96% of burned structures were residential. Frantz Law Group, APLC is fully committed to providing steadfast legal representation to individuals and businesses alike that have been devastated by the blazes. If you have lost your home, your business, or a loved one due to the Maui wildfires, please do not hesitate to call or contact our wildfire litigation attorneys online to learn if you have a valid claim.

EVIDENCE POINTS TOWARDS HECO LIABILITY

Responsibility for the Occurrence: Responsibility for the occurrence of the fire incident rest with HECO who failed to initiate a public safety power shutdown (PSPS) in response to the warnings issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) and the governors office.

Responsibility allegedly rests with HECO for failing to respond in a timely manner to the Maui Fire Department’s report of downed power lines at its origin.

Responsibility also allegedly rests with HECO for failing to survey their power lines in the area of the fire’s origin prior to re-energizing the power lines located there.

Responsibility also allegedly rests with a number of government, and private owners of undeveloped land, which fostered and facilitated the rapid progression and development of the fire incident as a result of their individual and collective failures to mitigate wildfire hazards on their properties and their individual and collective failures to provide appropriate and effective fire brakes between receptive fuels, located on their properties and adjacent populated areas.

Responsibility may also rest with Hawaiian Telecom as it is currently being evaluated, whether or not the presence of their communication lines on the wooden utility pole contributed to its failure during the high wind event.

Here are five facts that suggest HECO may be responsible for the Lahaina wildfire:

1. HECO was warned by the National Weather Service (NWS) of the forecasted high wind event and extreme dry fire conditions resulting in the issuance of a red flag warning
2. HECO was also warned by the governors office of the same forecasted dangerous fire conditions.
3. At approximately 3 AM that morning, a wooden utility pole failed as a result of the forecasted high wind event that was occurring and power lines were downed but no fire occurred.
4. At approximately 5:00 AM, the Maui fire department responded to the area and reported to HECO that powerlines were, in fact, downed. HECO was reported not to have responded to that area after being notified by the fire department of the downed powerlines.
5. At sometime shortly after 6:00 AM, it appears that the powerlines were re-energized resulted in significant electrical, arcing events involving those down powerlines. The heat energy from the arcing events ignited the receptive fuels on the ground beneath them, which consisted primarily of tall dry grass, and other vegetation.

The Maui fire department subsequently thought that they had extinguished the fire incident.

Shortly after their departure, the fire incident was observed by witnesses to have rekindled in a field near its origin. That rekindle was extinguished by a contractor, operating a water truck and the neighbors residing nearby.

At approximately 3:00 PM, the fire incident was again observed to have rekindled in the same field near its origin. The Maui fire department again responded but the fire burned out of control as a result of extremely dry fuels located in that field and the continuing high wind event.

During those fire extinguishment activities, it has been reported that an emergency May Day was for a firefighter that had collapsed while fighting the fire incident. Fire department resources were assigned to focus on a rescue of that firefighter and fire extinguishment activities were reportedly interrupted.

The fire quickly progressed and developed down into the business and residential areas of Lahaina.

DAMAGES YOU CAN CITE IN YOUR MAUI FIRE CLAIM

While many people affected by the fires in Maui have insurance coverage for fire damage, there are many more types of damages caused by the blazes that will not be covered. Since the infernos have thoroughly destroyed nearly every acre they have touched, it is also highly likely that most property owners will not be able to receive as much money as needed to recover due to insurance policy limits. 

Receiving compensation for the totality of those losses from an insurance claim is not expected.

Our Maui fire attorneys are here to help you fight for all of your losses and damages, such as: