HONOLULU (AP) — The wildfire that killed at least 102 people on Maui last year erupted from an earlier brushfire caused by downed power lines that firefighters believed they had extinguished, officials confirmed, Wednesday as they presented their findings on the cause of the tragedy. The Aug. 8, 2023, blaze — the in more than a century — was long known to have emerged in the afternoon, in the same area as blaze that began early that morning.
Driven by strong, erratic winds, the fire raced through the historic town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of buildings, overcoming people trapped in their cars and forcing some residents to flee into the ocean. It has been unclear whether the blaze was a rekindling of the morning fire after firefighters spent hours dousing it or a separate one. The answer could prove significant to questions about liability for the destruction, though a has been reached.
In presenting their findings, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maui Fire Department did not address liability, but found that it was a rekindling of the morning fire.
The rekindling was most likely caused by high winds that blew undetected embers into the dry gully, they said. A Hawaiian Electric early on the morning of Aug. 8, sparking a fire in overgrown brush near the edge of town.
Fire crews responded and stayed for several hours until they believed the fire was extinguished. After they left, flames were spotted again and thoug.