PDF: FULL TEXT Lahaina Cause and origin report with BATF report as Appendix

"3. The origin of the fire was the overgrown vegetation at and surrounding utility pole 25 off of Lahainaluna Road.

"4. The cause of the 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. 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 continuation of the fire via rekindle was due to a hidden piece of smoldering material that made its way at an undetermined time via undetermined means to a susceptible fuel package in the gully just to the east and south of the existing burn area."

Editor's Note: Per the comments at the news conference, the report focuses on the 'rekindling' of the morning fire as the cause of the afternoon fire which destroyed Lahaina and killed 102 people.  The report acknowledges that a Lahaina fire chief ordered the removal of fire crews from the site which then rekindled.  REDACTIONS: 'HECO proprietary information.'  

NYT: Lahaina Inferno Emerged From Smoldering Remnants of Quelled Fire - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

AP: Maui fire erupted from earlier blaze believed to be extinguished, investigation finds | AP News

HNN: ATF: MFD ordered Kamehameha Schools years ago to cut firebreak in area Lahaina fire spread (hawaiinewsnow.com)

The report says the Maui Fire Department ordered the school to cut and maintain a 30-foot wide strip without vegetation behind Kuialua and Hookahua Streets in Lahaina back in 2019.

The report also shows the firebreak was not maintained on August 8, 2023.

“When we give a notice of warning, followed by a notice of violation, we give direct orders on what to do to the land and to maintain it. Therefore, we shouldn’t have to go back to babysit lots over and over again,” said Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura.

County records also show Kamehameha Schools failed a fire brush inspection at that location in 2020…

“The fines are changing right now,” Ventura said. “So, the fines historically were $500. Governor Green signed a bill in July that we can fine up to $2,500 a day.”

In addition, fire departments now have more enforcement powers.

“If they do not comply and pay, at that point we have the ability to work with our Corporation Counsel to put a lien on the property and address it that way,” said Ventura….

  *   *   *   *   *

IM: Two Documents Just Released on 2023 Lahaina Fires

“The scenes for both the Morning Fire and the Afternoon Fire were not secured from the time the fire occurred until the arrival of ATF. Furthermore, MFD investigators as well as various investigators from private investigative services accessed and examined locations prior to ATF’s arrival. ATF’s analysis of the events is based on how the scene presented to investigators on August 18 – 19, 2023, and on subsequent return trips. “

“At the time of the scene examination on August 18, 2023, the fire scene was ten days old. While the Lahaina area was under lockdown by authorities and off limits to non-residents, the overall fire area was not secure in the typical sense. Residents were allowed to return to their homes and based on items located in the scene (cut branches and spoiled food), it appeared that unknown individuals had in fact been in the areas that were identified as potential areas of interest. In addition, all suppression operations in this area ceased during the Afternoon Fire due to the magnitude of the fire that spread into Lahaina Town.”

“In addition, the electric company, private evidence collection companies and private fire investigation companies had access to and moved freely throughout the overall fire scene. Maui Electric Company (MECO), also referred to Hawaii Electric Company (HECO) replaced damaged electrical equipment in the overall fire area. Fire Cause Analysis (FCA) had already come in and collected all the electrical utility distribution and transmission equipment as well as other items of evidentiary value in the area. While these items were examined by investigators later, they were not examined in situ.”

“A separate fire occurred at the same time at the base of Utility Pole 25. Strong winds affected Utility Pole 25 and other, nearby, utility poles. This fire was a result of molten material being ejected and falling into vegetation below due to an electrical event occurring at the top of Utility Pole 25.”

“Investigators determined the Afternoon Fire was a rekindle from the Morning Fire in that the fire occurred at or very near the boundary or containment line made during the Morning Fire. An undetected firebrand or the inadvertent movement of smoldering materials into the gully or dry creek bed during suppression activities resulted in a delayed ignition of vegetation, which became known as the Afternoon Fire.”

“On August 13 through 14, 2023, Fire Cause Analysis (FCA), a private fire investigation firm, was retained as a third party by MECO. FCA was tasked with collecting and securing electrical artifacts or other items of evidentiary value related to the fire. FCA documented the scene and collected evidence. As part of their investigation, ATF examined the evidence collected by FCA. “

“The area where both the Morning and Afternoon Fires occurred, is a Wildland and Urban Interface (WUI) area.”

“This WUI consisted of a residential sub-division separated from undeveloped land by a chain link fence which formed a border along the backside or east and south sides of the residential structures. In 2019 a firebreak was ordered to be cut behind the sub-division to create a barrier between the undeveloped land and the sub-division. An aerial image 19 taken on August 4, 2020, shows the firebreak. Aerial images collected after August 4, 2020, show the firebreak overgrown with vegetation, and based on the aerial imagery, the firebreak had not been maintained as evidenced by overgrown vegetation at the time of the fires. The fuel load was substantial in part because of a regional drought in the area where the fires occurred. The fuel load present provided an ample of amount of fuel to sustain the fires.”

“The land where the Afternoon Fire originated is owned and managed by Kamehameha Schools and was previously controlled by Bishop Estates.”

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Hawaiian Electric Issues Statement Regarding Maui Fire Department Report on August 2023 Wildfires

News Release from Hawaiian Electric, 10/02/2024

HONOLULU-- Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) subsidiary Hawaiian Electric today issued the following response to reports released by the Maui Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) detailing the findings of their investigations into the cause and origin of the Aug. 8, 2023 Maui windstorm and wildfires:

The fires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui were terrible tragedies for our state. 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.

We appreciate the commitment by the Maui Fire Department and ATF to conduct thorough investigations into the events of Aug. 8. We have been committed to transparency and accountability from the start and have said that it was important to understand what caused the fire and its catastrophic impact to ensure that it never happens again. To that end, our company and our employees have cooperated fully with all government investigators, diligently providing requested information while aggressively advancing our own fire safety measures in parallel.

On Aug. 27, 2023, shortly after the fires occurred, we publicly stated that it appeared our equipment sparked a fire on the morning of Aug. 8. The Maui Fire Department and ATF determined that the fire that impacted Lahaina was accidental in nature and largely affirmed the original understanding of the timeline of events as first described by Hawaiian Electric:

• A fire reported at about 6:35 a.m. was caused by Hawaiian Electric equipment that was damaged by high winds.
• The Maui County Fire Department responded to this small fire, reported it was “100% contained,” declared it had been “extinguished,” and then left the scene.
• An afternoon fire began in the same area shortly after their departure and spread to Lahaina.

The report also concluded that the afternoon fire was a reignition of the morning fire.

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.

We have looked closely at our protocols and actions that day and have made many changes in our operations and resilience strategies to ensure we fulfill our commitment to keep the public safe, especially in extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe.

Consistent with the previous reports published by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) and the state Attorney General, the reports issued by the Maui Fire Department and the ATF also make clear that the devastation in Lahaina resulted from a combination of many factors and the actions of many parties. We appreciate the work of all parties who are working together to understand what happened and to make our communities safer in a changing environment.

As stated in the Lahaina Fire Phase Two report published on Sept. 13, 2024: “The destruction caused by the August 2023 fires … resulted from a complex interaction of contributing factors with root causes going back years. It is vital to reiterate, as demonstrated throughout this report, that no single factor, or set of factors, is directly responsible for the tragic outcome.”

Wildfires are a statewide and emerging national problem whose causes are rooted in climate change, history and land management. Reducing the risk will require an all-hands approach. Hawaiian Electric is doing its part by continuing to strengthen the resilience of the electric system. The company has already taken significant steps to reduce the potential for wildfires, even before these reports were released:

• As part of our Wildfire Safety Strategy and broader resilience efforts, Hawaiian Electric is making more than $110 million in investments in 2024 to strengthen electric infrastructure against extreme weather conditions, implement enhanced vegetation management that falls under the utility’s purview and deploy devices to help prevent wildfires.
• On July 1, 2024, the company launched its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program, which may be used as a last line of defense to help prevent utility-related wildfires. In standing up the PSPS program, Hawaiian Electric has seen that coordination with critical service providers and emergency responders and providing advance notice to the public are essential elements to ensure public safety.
• Hawaiian Electric is installing 78 AI-enabled fire detection cameras and 52 weather stations and sharing data and access with fire departments and other agencies.

As a 132-year-old company and family of employees deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi, we are committed to being here for Lahaina, Maui and the entire state for the long term. The global settlement agreement in principle we reached in August is an important milestone in our collaborative work to support our state’s recovery.

As we move forward, we will continue to work together to strengthen our state’s infrastructure and identify solutions to keep our communities safe as extreme weather events intensify in Hawaiʻi and across the country.

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BATF Report on Cause and origin of Lahaina blazes 

SA: … at 1200 MFD will present “a summary of key findings” via livestreamed news conference on the >>> county’s social media <<< platforms today and will release the full findings detailing what caused the fatal wildfires and where they began on the county’s website.

“We are thankful for the scientific and comprehensive work of the ATF,” said Ventura in a statement Sept. 25. “We recognize the importance of releasing this information to the public, and my team and I are working diligently to integrate the findings into our Cause and Origin report so this complex fire analysis can be shared.”

The release of the findings of the ATF and Maui firefighter’s investigation comes nearly 14 months after the Aug. 8, 2023, fires.

On Sept. 13 state Attorney General Anne E. Lopez released the second phase of findings from a state investigation into how government responded to and managed the tragedy.

No single factor contributed to the worst U.S. wildfire of the past century; instead, a “a complex set of factors including weather and its impacts, risk and preparedness, decades-­old infrastructure, organizational structure and incident management and coordination created a historic disaster,” according to the Attorney General’s Office….

(CLUE:  This is the mantra from the Governor’s Office: ‘Nothing to see here, just move along.’)

PDF: FULL TEXT Lahaina Cause and origin report with BATF report as Appendix

Sept 25, 2024: Lahaina Fire BATF Report to be Released Weds Oct 2 

KHON: “The ATF report itself is not going to have any impact on the settlement as far as I can see."--plaintiff attorney

read … Cause and origin of Lahaina blazes to be released

Shaping Media Coverage: Governor Green says re-ignition caused Lahaina wildfire

KHON: … Ahead of Wednesday’s expected release of the Lahaina wildfire cause and origin report from the ATF and Maui County, Hawaii Governor Josh Green told Wake Up 2Day Monday morning that the results are going to be “what everyone has expected.”

(TRANSLATION: ‘Nothing to see here, just move along.’)

“I think you’re going to see what everyone has already expected. The fire occurred. Some of the coals reignited and then went up in into the wind because of the, you know, hurricane-force winds that were 74 to 80 miles per hour. Very old wooden set of structures, and the town tragically burned.”

(TRANSLATION: ‘Nothing to see here, just move along.’)

The report has been delayed, but the ATF gave it to Maui County on September 23rd. Fire Chief Brad Ventura was briefed on the report on the 25th. In an effort to provide a comprehensive overview, MFD is currently integrating the ATF’s investigative insights into its own Cause and Origin report. The ATF report will be included as an appendix, ensuring that the public has access to all relevant information.

“I don’t think you’re going to find a single point of blame, per se. I think everyone has responsibility,” Governor Green added.

(TRANSLATION: ‘Nothing to see here, just move along.’)

Since announcing an over $4 billion settlement with victims, Governor Green has been lobbying against subrogation from insurance companies, which are trying to get reimbursed for claims….

(CLUE:  There must be something in that report which will upset the fake 'settlement')

read … Governor Green says re-ignition caused Lahaina wildfire | KHON2