#downed power lines

Piʻilani Highway is closed between Mile 29 and 31 in Kaupō due to flooding. A portion of Makawao Ave. is closed due to two large trees that have fallen and downed power lines block both lanes. Maui police have closed South Kīhei Road from Ohukai to Kīhei Bay Vista at 715 South Kīhei Road, due to heavy flooding. Crews are working to remove a landslide blocking the northbound lane of the Honoapiʻilani Highway at Mile 35.5 and 36 in Honokōhau.

During the first Congressional fact-finding hearing about the deadly Aug. 8 Lahaina fire, members of the US House Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations grilled Hawaiian Electric President and CEO Shelee Kimura about de-energizing power lines, wildfire mitigation efforts and replacing above ground lines connected to wood poles with buried lines.

Chief John Pelletier told the Maui Police Commission the after-action report about the department’s response to the Maui wildfires will be a “dive into what went right, what went wrong and how can we improve. But it is also going to talk about some of the incredible acts that took place.”

Hawaiian Electric has stationed active monitors who are physically surveying electrical infrastructure in more than 30 areas identified as high wildfire risk in Maui County, on Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu to help to ensure safe and reliable service during current Red Flag Warning.

Today, the County of Maui filed a lawsuit against Maui Electric Company, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaiʻi Electric Light Company and Hawaiian Electric Industries for civil damages allegedly caused to the County’s public property and resources as a result of recent Maui fires, including fires in Lahaina and Kula.

Windy and rainy conditions have resulted in a number of weather related outages and closures across the island. Below is a running list of incidents.

Based on early assessments, it appears one pole came down along Baldwin Avenue between Pāʻia Mill Road and Kona Road and snagged power lines that brought down three other poles.

County Communications Director Rod Antone said the accident which caused the downed power lines did not involve county staff or contractors.

Emergency crews from the Maui Fire Department’s Engine-3 worked to secure an area on Ala Moana Street in Lahaina at around 7:35 a.m., where two 30-foot trees fell blocking the west-bound lane of travel.

A six-acre brush fire in Olinda Friday is being attributed to a downed power line.  The incident was reported at 12:27 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2009.  County officials say a large tree limb fell onto a power line, which then ignited grass along an access road in the area. Strong, swirling winds, then pushed […]