The catastrophic wildfire that ravaged a coastal town in Maui last year, resulting in over 100 fatalities, was triggered by the “re-energization” of damaged power lines that ignited neglected vegetation near a power pole, as confirmed by officials in their report released on Wednesday.

The fire on August 8, 2023, claimed at least 102 lives and destroyed more than 2,000 structures in Lahaina, marking it as one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history. High winds and dry vegetation fueled the inferno, creating chaos as some residents jumped into the ocean to escape while others were trapped in their vehicles.

Initially, authorities attributed the fire to severe weather, with strong winds intensifying the flames in coastal areas. However, a nearly 300-page report released Wednesday by the Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) alongside the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) indicated that the disaster stemmed from a single fire believed to be under control but later rekindled.

“To summarize, the cause of the Lahaina fire is evident: the re-energization of damaged power lines created sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation nearby,” MFD Chief Brad Ventura stated during a news conference on Wednesday.

The MFD and ATF determined that the fire’s cause was accidental. Ventura noted they reached “no definitive conclusion” on how the ignition occurred but indicated it was likely due to high winds and dry conditions on the day of the fire.

“We want to emphasize to Lahaina and the Maui community that our firefighters went above and beyond to ensure the fire was completely extinguished before they left the site,” said MFD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Giesea at the news conference.

Firefighters Stayed at the Site for Several Hours

The report detailed the timeline of the firefighters’ response. The fire broke out around 6:34 a.m. on August 8, originating from overgrown vegetation surrounding a power pole, as indicated in the document.

It stated that the re-energization of broken power lines ignited the blaze. Fire crews responded swiftly and contained the fire by 9 a.m.

Giesea shared that firefighters remained on-site for over five and a half hours after the fire was declared fully contained and extinguished. Crews reported no visible signs of fire, such as flames, smoke, or burning material.

However, despite monitoring the area for several hours, some hidden embers reignited, according to Ventura. Officials mentioned that a smoldering piece of material might have been blown into a nearby dry gully, causing the fire to restart.

The fire crews left the scene around 2:18 p.m. after utilizing a “significant number of resources,” stated Ventura. Just 34 minutes later, at 2:52 p.m., the fire reignited and rapidly spread into neighboring residential areas.

“There are still multiple hypotheses regarding this rekindle event, and no clear conclusion has been reached about how the ignition source found kindling,” Ventura noted.

Aftermath of the Lahaina Fires

The report released Wednesday is the latest in a series of investigations into the Lahaina fires, including issues surrounding emergency response and infrastructure that have been blamed for the extensive damage.

In February, Maui police shared a preliminary report about their response to the crisis, revealing that extreme conditions, misinformation, and significant confusion hampered the emergency actions. Two additional reports released in April highlighted that communication failures and lack of readiness contributed to the severity of the fires.

Local residents have placed some blame on Hawaiian Electric Industries, the largest utility company in the state. This company has faced multiple lawsuits filed by hundreds of homeowners and business proprietors who allege that it failed to turn off power lines despite warnings that high winds could bring them down and start wildfires.

In August, Hawaiian Electric announced it had agreed to pay around half of a settlement exceeding $4 billion to compensate victims.

“We sincerely regret that our operations contributed to the ignition of the fire that morning,” Hawaiian Electric stated in a message on Wednesday. “Faced with an extraordinary weather situation and a chaotic environment, our employees did their utmost in their roles, as they do every day.”