ATF cites power line as cause of deadly Maui wildfire: Report
The historic Maui fire that killed at least 102 people last year was caused by broken power lines thought to have been extinguished earlier in the day, officials confirmed their findings on Wednesday.
The August 2023 fire in the town of Lahaina is thought to have come from rekindled embers from the earlier morning blaze, which came from downed power lines, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) 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,” MFD Chief Brad Ventura said Wednesday during the news conference at the Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku.
The report on the fire notes that the fire is classified as accidental, rather than incendiary, natural or undetermined.
The fire last year is the "deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century," The Associated Press reported.
In August, court filings showed that wildfire victims reached a $4 billion settlement agreement.
Liaison attorneys filed a motion saying the settlement looks to resolve all of the claims from last year’s devastating Maui fire. It also asked the judge to order that insurers can’t separately go after defendants who receive money.