The deadly fires in Maui, Hawaii, which began on Aug. 8, 2023, and were fueled by strong winds and dry air, have been responsible for more than 110 deaths and widespread property destruction, and have left thousands without power.

By Aug. 13, Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) crews had restored power to more than 60% of its customers. The utility serves 95% of the state’s population through 9,400 miles of power lines.  

More than 300 HECO employees and contractors have been working to restore power to another 5,000 customers in West Maui and Upcountry, with employees from O’ahu, Hawai’i Island, Mokoka’i and Lana’i providing additional staff, materials, equipment and other resources to support efforts to restore power quickly.

A mobile substation was installed at the Lahainaluna substation to assist in restoring power in the neighboring subdivision. Neighborhood circuits and individual service in Upcountry are being repaired as the electrical connection points are verified safe. Additional circuits were restored in West Maui, providing power to the Ka’anapali Coast area, home to many condominiums, resorts and hotels, where state and county officials are providing rooms for residents displaced by the fire.

Extensive damage to the electrical power system at the distribution and substation level has rendered it fragile. Therefore, restoration is being done with extreme care to ensure the safety of the workers and the public. HECO expects intermittent outages after the power is restored.

Per the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, areas subject to high risk from wildfires should implement strategies to mitigate the possibility of electrical equipment or infrastructure contributing to wildfires through ignition.

Unfortunately, according to the news site Honolulu Civil Beat, HECO did not shut down power in Lahaina, the area hardest hit, prior to the devastating fire.

“We did not follow best practices,” says Jennifer Potter, executive board member for nonprofit Grid Forward, former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and a Lahaina resident.

Company officials report that the utility did not implement power shutdown protocols. As a result, 29 fully energized poles fell across roads, blocking access for first responders and evacuation routes and hindering restoration efforts.

In a statement, HECO said shutting off the power in Lahaina on short notice would have required coordination with first responders because the electricity powers the water pumps used by firefighters, as well as equipment for customers with special medical needs.

Before winds with speeds of 30—45 mph (and gusts up to 60 mph) arrived, HECO did disable an automated system that allows power circuits along the grid to reactivate automatically after a service interruption. This prevented downed lines from continuing to spark.

Since 2019 HECO has been modernizing its grid and deploying smart fuses and other devices to minimize sparks as part of its wildfire mitigation activities. The utility has proposed $189.7 million in improvements across the state. Their application lists threats to the power grid from wildfires, the risk of power lines sparking wildfires and the “undeniable and urgent” need to adapt to climate change.

Proposed changes include replacing brittle copper conductors with aluminum, removing hazardous trees and implementing other forms of wildfire prevention and mitigation. Also under consideration is burying power lines underground.