More than a year after the tragic Lahaina wildfire, investigators have determined that the tragedy was sparked by a blaze firefighters thought they had put out.
The ATF report stated that a small fire started just after 6:30 a.m. Aug. 8, 2023, at a utility pole near Lahainaluna Road. Fire crews left the scene just after 2 p.m. once there were no indications that the fire was still burning, as reported by KHON-TV.
However, the fire was rekindled just after 2:50 p.m. in a gully next to the previous burn area.
Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura at a news conference, "A piece of smoldering material hidden in the unmanaged vegetation in the adjacent gully was fueled and reignited by a severe wind event and the fire resumed with disastrous consequences."
Officials insisted that firefighters had labeled the scene as "100% contained" and saw no signs that a fire was still burning. MFD reported that the fire had been "extinguished" before leaving the scene, Hawaiian Electric said, according to KHON-TV.
"They deployed countless resources, spent an extensive amount of time on the scene, and observed the scene after they believed it was extinguished," Jonathan Blais, the ATF's special agent in charge of the Seattle Field Division, which includes Hawaii, said at the news conference. "So, yes, I do believe they did everything possible."
The wildfire, which killed 102 people last year, was labeled accidental in the report. The Lahaina wildfire was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, as reported by the Associated Press.
Hawaiian Electric Co., the company whose power lines sparked the earlier fire, said in a statement Wednesday, "We deeply regret that our operations contributed to the fire that ignited in the morning. Confronted by an extraordinary weather event and a chaotic situation, our employees brought their best efforts to their jobs, as they do every day."
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