Maui wildfire one month later: lawsuits, relief efforts pile up
By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Ben Burke (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Editor)
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Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
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As the people of Maui prepare to mark one month since a wildfire tore through the island, the focus has shifted from the initial devastation to lawsuits and relief efforts. The fire has killed at least 115 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
The death toll has not changed since Aug. 21. However, the number of people who remain unaccounted for has fluctuated in recent weeks.
On Aug. 24, police released a “credible” list, compiled by the FBI, of 388 missing people. After many people on the list and/or their relatives reported them safe, 245 names were removed on Sept. 1.
Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) had said the number of missing would drop to double digits. However, when police released its Sept. 1 update, there were 263 newly added names, for a new total of 385.
“The official number has been 385 which includes FBI numbers and people giving names,” Gov. Green said in a video posted to X. “But there are only 41 active investigations after people filed a missing person’s report.”
While formal investigations to determine the official cause of the fire are ongoing, about a dozen lawsuits have already been filed against Hawaii Electric Company. The utility serves 95% of Hawaii’s electric customers. In one of the lawsuits, Maui County accused Hawaii Electric of failing to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions.
In a separate case, lawyers for Lahaina residents and business owners told a court that that cable TV and telephone companies share responsibility for the disaster. The lawyers visited a warehouse where Hawaiian Electric Company is housing power poles and electrical equipment. There, they found the cables were attached in a way that put too much tension on the poles, causing them to lean and break in the wind.
“In a disaster of this magnitude, it takes some time for all the potentially responsible parties to come into focus and be brought into court,” MaryBeth LippSmith, co-founder of LippSmith LLP , said on Sunday, Sept. 3. “Our investigation thus far shows a constellation of many serious failures that together led to this horrible tragedy.”
As the lawsuits over the Maui wildfire proceed, so do relief efforts for those affected. More than 1,000 FEMA personnel have been on the ground in Maui. The agency has given more than $19 million in assistance.
The American Red Cross has provided meals, mental health support and financial assistance to the nearly 6,000 people staying at hotels that are serving as temporary shelters. Last week, Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson announced a $10 million fund that makes direct payments to those unable to return to their homes.
TOMORROW MARKS ONE MONTH SINCE THE DEADLIEST U-S WILDFIRE IN MORE THAN A CENTURY TOOK THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 115 PEOPLE IN HAWAII.
AUTHORITIES ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME OF THE HUNDREDS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR — AND LAWSUITS ARE PILING UP REGARDING WHO IS LIABLE.
ABOUT A DOZEN LAWSUITS BLAMING HAWAII ELECTRIC COMPANY HAVE BEEN FILED.
THE COMPANY SERVES 95 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS.
IN ONE OF THE LAWSUITS — MAUI COUNTY ACCUSED THE UTILITY OF FAILING TO SHUT OFF POWER DESPITE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS.
HOWEVER — IT MAY NOT BE SIMPLE.
AFTER VISITING A WAREHOUSE WHERE HAWAII ELECTRIC HOUSES ITS POWER POLES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT — LAWYERS FOR LAHAINA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TOLD A COURT THAT CABLE T-V AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES **SHARE RESPONSIBILITY.
THE LAWYERS ACCUSED THE COMPANIES OF OVERLOADING AND DESTABILIZING SOME OF THE POLES.
ACCORDING TO THE LAWYERS — THE CABLES WERE ATTACHED IN A WAY THAT PUT TOO MUCH TENSION ON THE POLES, CAUSING THEM TO LEAN AND BREAK IN THE WINDS LAST MONTH.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS AIMED AT DETERMINING THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE FIRE ARE STILL ONGOING.
AS THE LAWSUITS OVER THE FIRE PROCEED — SO DO RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THOSE AFFECTED.
MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND FEMA PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND IN MAUI — AND THE AGENCY HAS GIVEN MORE THAN 19 MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSISTANCE.
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS PROVIDING MEALS — MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE NEARLY 6-THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING AT HOTELS THAT ARE SERVING AS TEMPORARY SHELTERS.
THEY ARE ALSO GETTING SOME HELP FROM THE RICH AND FAMOUS — WITH OPRAH WINFREY AND DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON ANNOUNCING A 10-MILLION-DOLLAR FUND THAT MAKES DIRECT PAYMENTS TO THOSE UNABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 6% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on abc NewsLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Coast ReporterLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Flin Flon ReminderLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Koco News5Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Rocky Mountain OutlookLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on AJCLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on NBC LALawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KRDOCable TV, phone companies share responsibility for Maui disaster, lawyers say
Click to see story on The HillLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KVIATV, phone companies also liable in Maui fires, lawyers say
Click to see story on Star AdvertiserLawyers Claim Cable TV, Phone Companies also Responsible in Maui Fires
Click to see story on VOA NewsLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KCRA 3Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on News 4 JAXLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WPLGLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WKMGLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Click on DetroitLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WCVBLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WLWTLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Washington Top NewsLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on San Diego Union TribuneLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WMURLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WLKYLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WESHLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WDSULawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KETVLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WTAELawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WYFFHeadline Unavailable
Click to see story on Houston ChronicleLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KCCILawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KMBCLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WBAL-TVLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WISNLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WPTZLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WMTWLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WVTMLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WAPTLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KOATLawyers claim cable TV, phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on Penn LiveLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KOB 4Lawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WCBDLawyers claim cable, phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on NewsNationLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WPBFLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies are also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WJTVLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WGALLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on WXIIMaui fires: TV and phone companies share responsibility, say lawyers
Click to see story on The Christian Science MonitorLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KSBWLawyers claim cable TV and phone companies also responsible in Maui fires
Click to see story on KHBSRight
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