Tree Branch Identified as Cause of Lahaina Outage

Power lines, file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

A power outage in West Maui on Tuesday afternoon was caused by a tree branch that fell across power lines on Mill Street in Lahaina, electric company officials said.

The incident resulted in a flashover, knocking out power to approximately 1,800 customers in parts of Lahaina, Launiupoko, and Olowalu at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, said Maui Electric Company spokesperson Kauʻi Awai-Dickson.

MECO crews were able to reroute power to customers before 3 p.m., Awai-Dickson said.

Officials say that after investigation, they found no damage to electrical equipment at the Lahaina Substation.