Deadly Maui Fire Started from Blaze Authorities Thought Was ‘Fully’ Extinguished, But Then Rekindled: Officials
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The report said that authorities found the incident involved one fire with a “morning phase and afternoon phase"
Zeke Kalua/County of Maui via AP This photo provided by County of Maui shows fire and smoke filling the sky from wildfires on the intersection at Hokiokio Place and Lahaina Bypass in Maui, Hawaii on Aug. 8, 2023
The cause of the devastating Maui fire that killed over 100 people last year in Maui was revealed in a new report released by the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD)Their investigation found that the origin of the fire could be traced to one blaze, which was believed to be "fully contained and extinguished" before it eventually rekindledThe recovery efforts have continued more than a year after the tragedyAuthorities have revealed what caused the devastating Maui fire that claimed the lives of over 100 people last year.A 300-page report unveiled by the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) on Wednesday, Oct. 2, found that the origin of the fire, which began at 6:34 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023, “was the overgrown vegetation at and surrounding utility pole 25 off of Lahainaluna Road.” The report stated that authorities found that the cause of that fire “was the re-energization of broken utility lines which caused the ejection of molten metallic material (sparks) to fall to the base of pole 25, igniting the unmaintained vegetation below."
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“Additionally the arcing and severing of the energized overhead power line between pole 25 and 24 resulted in that line falling to the ground, subsequently igniting vegetation below,” the report continued. While it appeared MFD initially "fully contained and extinguished" the fire, “a rekindle occurred at approximately 1452 hours (2:52 p.m.) in the gully just east and south of the existing burn area, per the report. Fed by extreme winds, the fire quickly grew out of control, jumped the bypass, and resulted in the subsequent conflagration from which our island community is still recovering.”Per the report, about 102 people were killed and two remain missing as a result of last year’s fire, which also caused $5.52 billion in damages.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Homes and businesses lay in ruins after devastating wildfire swept through Maui in August 2023.' title='Lahaina, Maui, Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - Homes and businesses lay in ruins after last week's devastating wildfire swept through town'>
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Homes and businesses lay in ruins after devastating wildfire swept through Maui in August 2023.
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At a press conference on Oct. 2, in Wailuku, MFD Chief Brad Ventura said: “In sum, the origin and cause of the Lahaina fire is clear: the re-energization of broken power lines caused sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation in the area.” “We want to make abundantly clear to the community that our firefighters went above and beyond their due diligence to be as confident as they could be that the fire was completely extinguished before they left the scene,” added MFD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Giesea. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. At the time, the Maui fire was considered as one of the deadliest in U.S. history, per data from from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Amanda Bratton, a Lahaina resident, told PEOPLE last year that her community had been devastated."Our whole town is gone. Our jobs are gone. Our house is gone," she said then. "Our cars are gone and our whole community is just, I mean, it's the entire town. So it's like I've never seen anything this tragic since 9-11. It's like, what do you do when you weren't expecting your entire town, all the buildings and businesses and houses, to just be wiped out?"Survivors recalled to NBC News last year that during the fire, they found the main route out of town blocked by utility trucks. Cole Millington told the outlet that there was "epic bumper-to-bumper traffic while we were trying to escape."
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More than a year after the disaster, the recovery efforts in Maui continue. Per the Maui Recovers website, recent actions included the completion by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ removal of all residential debris caused by last year’s fire; amended sewer service in West Maui; and the establishment of the West Maui Business Center (WMBC) to help impacted local businesses. For inforrmation on how to make a donation to the relief effort, click here. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People.
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