by Madeleine Hubbard
"Scores of people burned to death," the suit says.
A Hawaiian couple has filed a lawsuit against four power companies for allegedly ignoring weather warnings before the historic Maui fires that killed at least 93 people.
Monica and Rede Eder filed the lawsuit after their home in Lahaina, Maui, was destroyed by the wildfire. The case states it is on behalf of a class and subclasses of all persons similarly situated," Fox News reported Monday.
The suit says the electric companies "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during forecasted high fire danger conditions," which "caused a loss of life, serious injuries, destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses, displacement of thousands of people, and damage to many of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites."
The exact cause of the blaze is unclear. It is the deadliest U.S. fire in more than a century with more than 93 deaths so far, and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says he expects the death toll to rise further. Much of the historic town of Lahaina was destroyed in the blaze.
"Scores of people burned to death," the suit also said. "Other victims suffered severe burns, smoke inhalation and additional serious injuries."
Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Jim Kelley told Fox: "As has always been our policy, we don’t comment on pending litigation. Our immediate focus is on supporting emergency response efforts on Maui and restoring power for our customers and communities as quickly as possible. At this early stage, the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review."
Law firms hired to learn what sparked the wildfires last week have reportedly concluded the cause was the utility company's faulty equipment.
Madeleine Hubbard
Source: https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/hawaiian-power-companies-accused-ignoring-weather-warnings-lawsuit-after-fire
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