Editorial: ATF report basis for improvement
The report doesn’t assign liability, but it clearly provides backing for a finding that HECO and KS are most responsible for the fire. Read more
Maui
Kahului man pleads guilty in Maui explosives probe
A 47-year-old Kahului man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing an improvised explosive device July 23 to avoid charges related to ammunition, explosives and firearms found in his house as part of a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Read more
Re-energizing of downed power lines sparked Lahaina wildfire, report concludes
The Aug. 8 wildfire started in “overgrown vegetation at or surrounding utility pole 25 on Lahainaluna Road,” according to the 289 pages of findings detailing the inferno that killed 102 people and caused $5.5 billion in damage. Read more
Re-energizing of downed power lines caused fatal Maui fires, county and feds say
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives deemed the fire to be accidental. The ATF declined to comment on whether anyone would be held criminally liable for the fire. Read more
Cause and origin of Lahaina blazes to be released
The Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety will make public today the cause and origin of the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfires that killed 102 people, left thousands homeless and crippled Maui’s visitor industry. Read more
Officials sort priorities to devise Lahaina recovery plan
Sean Corpuel, who lost his popular 1950s-style burger joint, the Cool Cat Cafe, to the Aug. 8, 2023, Lahaina wildfire, has started it up again 45 minutes away in Kihei but one day wants to head back to the future by returning to Front Street. Read more
DOE to return King Kamehameha III Elementary School site to DLNR and county
For over a century, King Kamehameha III Elementary was located on Front Street until the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires destroyed the site, forcing students, families, faculty and staff out of their learning environment. Read more
Maui Wellness Fest seeks more recruits for wildfire exposure study
The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study is a comprehensive study seeking to understand and mitigate the health and social impacts of the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires. Read more
Hawaiian Electric parent to sell more new stock
The parent company of Hawaii’s largest electrical utility might sell up to $825 million in new stock, partly to help fund a pending settlement of claims over 2023’s Maui wildfire disaster. Read more
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Detention hearing set for 2nd Maui bombings’ suspect
Jess Kiesel Lee made his initial appearance in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom A. Trader. Read more
Volcanic Ash: We need a wake-up call to identify wake-up calls
A great shame of 2023’s Lahaina fire, which killed 102, was that officials received the gift of all the information needed to avert tragedy but disregarded it and saw the horror unfold. Read more
Hearing set for second Maui bombing suspect
A 43-year-old man arrested Wednesday in connection with an ongoing investigation into improvised explosive devices set around Kula and Kahului will make his initial appearance in federal court Monday. Read more
Police recover body from ‘Boiling Pots’ in Hilo
A search had been underway for the swimmer after witnesses said they saw him entering the water and getting pulled under by rapids at the spot Tuesday, without resurfacing. Read more
2nd suspect arrested in Maui explosives case
The arrest of Jess Lee, of Kula, was the result of a “coordinated effort” between the MPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Read more
Hawaiian Electric shares drop after $250M stock offering plan
The company will conduct an “at-the-market offering,” selling shares at prevailing market prices rather than a predetermined rate, according to a regulatory filing. Read more
Editorial: Heed Lahaina fire report guidance
Phase 2 of the Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report has been released, reviewing Maui County, state and federal emergency responses to the disastrous Lahaina fire of Aug. 8, 2023. Read more
Washington couple apparently drowns in Maui waters
Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk were vacationing on Maui from Washington state when they apparently drowned Saturday while swimming and possibly snorkeling in waters off the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in the southwest corner of Maui. Read more
Fire intensifies Lahaina community’s push for bypass extension
The Lahaina Bypass extensions began more than a decade ago with Phase 1A, which opened in March 2013 and linked Keawe Street to Lahainaluna Road. Read more
Mother-son postmasters on Maui are devoted to duty
Michelle Almeida, Kihei’s postmaster since 2018, and her son Chris Harris, who has managed the Puunene post office since 2022, are instilled with a devotion to duty that extends beyond their professions. Read more
Second phase of Lahaina fire findings released
No “single factor” led to the devastation caused by the Lahaina fires that killed 102 people, left thousands homeless and decimated the visitor industry, according to the second phase of findings from the state Department of the Attorney General’s investigation of government’s management of the disaster. Read more
Hawaii Attorney General releases second phase of Maui fire probe
The 518-page Lahaina Fire Incident Analysis Report makes 84 unique findings and 140 recommendations for improving preparation, vegetation management, communications, collaboration between stakeholders. Read more
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