Deadly Maui Fire Caused by Rekindling of Earlier Extinguished Blaze, Investigation Finds

Burned cars and homes in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug. 17, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Sparks from broken power lines caused the deadly August 2023 wildfire in Maui, Hawaii, according to a new report published on Oct. 2 by the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The deadly disaster on the island occurred when a fire sparked by reenergized broken power lines off Lahainaluna Road that was believed to have been extinguished in the morning by responding firefighters was rekindled in the afternoon, the Origin and Cause report found.

The “re-energization” of the broken utility lines “caused the ejection of molten metallic material (sparks) to fall to the base of pole 25, igniting the unmaintained vegetation below,” the report stated.

Firefighters who attended the scene at 6:34 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023, believed they had contained that fire after roughly 2 1/2 hours of observation of the power lines and the surrounding area, with all “available indicators” showing that the fire was fully contained and extinguished, according to the report.

However, material from the same fire was somehow transported to a nearby gully full of brush, grass, and short trees, where it reignited flames later in the day after firefighters had left the scene, the report found.

It is not exactly clear what caused the fire to rekindle, although the one possible explanation is that strong winds blew undetected embers into the dry gully, the report said.

“Despite the extraordinary diligence of personnel and the significant number of resources at the scene, undetected smoldering material from the morning phase of the fire initiated the afternoon phase of the fire in a gully adjacent to the existing fire area at 1452 hours,” it said.

Driven by those strong and erratic winds, the bushfire quickly morphed into what became the fifth deadliest in U.S. history and the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history, killing at least 102 people in the historic town of Lahaina and destroying thousands of buildings.

Firefighters Went ‘Above and Beyond’

The report classified the fire as “accidental,” as opposed to “incendiary,” “natural,” or “undetermined,” and noted that there is no evidence to suggest the fire was set intentionally.

It did not address the issue of liability.

“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,” Maui Fire Department (MFD) Chief Brad Ventura said during a press conference announcing the report.

MFD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Giesea, who was also in attendance at the press conference, said that firefighters who worked to tackle the blaze 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.”

In the months that followed the deadly wildfires, thousands of Lahaina residents sued various parties they believed to be at fault for the fire, including Hawaiian Electric, Maui County, and the state of Hawaii.

Responding to the report findings, Hawaiian Electric said it “largely affirmed the original understanding of the timeline of events as first described” by the electric company—that it was caused by Hawaiian Electric equipment damaged by high winds.

“The fires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui were terrible tragedies for our state,” the electric giant said. “The loss and pain experienced by our families, neighbors, customers, and employees will never leave our hearts and we are working with many government, community, and business partners to keep our communities safe.”

In August, a few days before the first anniversary of the wildfires, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced that a number of businesses and state entities had agreed to pay out $4 billion as part of a settlement for those affected by the wildfires that ravaged the island.

Hawaiian Electric, the state, Maui County, West Maui Land Co., and Hawaiian Telcom were among the businesses and state entities that agreed to the payout.