October 2024 – According to
a report by USA Today, the Maui wildfire that devastated an entire coastal town and killed more than 100 people in 2023 was caused by the "re-energization" of broken power lines that ignited unmaintained vegetation near a utility pole, authorities have confirmed.
The fire on Aug. 8, 2023, claimed at least 102 lives and destroyed more than 2,000 structures in the historic town of Lahaina, making it one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. The blaze, fueled by high winds and dry vegetation, rapidly spread as chaos overtook the town, sending some residents fleeing into the ocean and trapping others in their vehicles.
Initially, authorities determined that the flames were caused by severe weather and that strong winds stoked the fires in coastal communities. But in a nearly 300-page report released in October 2024 from the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officials said the devastation was caused by a single fire that was believed to be extinguished but later reignited.
