Hawaiian Electric Co.’s chief executive officer plans to tell Congress Thursday that the deadly Lahaina wildfire wasn’t the company’s fault.
During a hearing before House lawmakers, Shelee Kimura will reiterate the company’s stance it wasn’t to blame for the blaze that killed at least 97 people last month, according to a copy of her prepared testimony. Although an earlier fire on Maui that same day was caused by downed power lines, she’ll testify it’s still not clear what started the so-called “Afternoon Fire” that broke out several hours later.
“We all want to learn about what happened on Aug. 8 so that it never happens again,” the testimony reads. “We are working tirelessly to figure out what happened, and we are cooperating fully with federal and state investigators.”
The utility has come under scrutiny for its possible role in the wildfire, which caused more than $5.5 billion in damages. Attorneys for victims’ families have filed suits alleging Hawaiian Electric was negligent for the blaze because the utility didn’t turn off the power despite forecasts of wildfire risk. The County of Maui has also sued the utility, asserting that the company failed to properly prepare equipment for the threat of wildfires.
Kimura will testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee that all of Hawaiian Electric’s power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours by the time the Afternoon Fire began. Firefighters had already extinguished the “Morning Fire” and left the scene, according to the remarks.
Hawaiian Electric’s shares have tumbled about 65% since the catastrophe. The company’s credit rating has been cut to junk on concerns about its potential financial exposure to the blaze. The company has suspended its dividend and drawn down its credit lines to preserve cash.
--With assistance from Sophie Caronello.
