Public Safety Power Shutoff watch: Hawaiian Electric monitoring wildfire risk conditions this week

Hawaiian Electric is monitoring developing weather conditions which are likely to lead to an increased risk of wildfires in parts of Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island later this week. Customers in these areas are urged to initiate their own emergency plans should a Public Safety Power Shutoff be necessary, and to prepare for the possibility of extended power outages Monday through Thursday.

Proactive power shutoffs are one way we can help prevent wildfires when there is windy weather, low humidity and dry vegetation near Hawaiian Electric equipment, which is the case in areas like West Maui and South Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island. These conditions may lead to damaged powerlines or debris being blown into powerlines, which increases the risk of a fire starting.

With a National Weather Service wind advisory in effect through 6 a.m. Monday, outages not related to the company’s PSPS program could still occur due to high winds and other conditions.

Should weather conditions intensify, Hawaiian Electric will keep the public informed by deploying its message broadcast system to customers in high risk areas.

For more maps of PSPS areas or for more information, call Hawaiian Electric’s PSPS hotline at 1-844-483-8666 toll-free or go to hawaiianelectric.com/PSPS.