MAUI, HAWAII: At least 93 residents have been killed by the wind-whipped flames that quickly raced through Maui and turned the historic town of Lahaina into a monticule of ashes.
The slew of deadly wildfires allegedly broke overnight on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, and caused extensive damage across West Maui and surrounding areas. As of Sunday, crews were still battling blazes in Maui and on the Big Island.
Fresh evacuations are currently underway on Maui as flames creep closer to the town of Kaanapali. Maui County officials previously confirmed that more than 14,000 residents and tourists had been evacuated from the island.
On Saturday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll on the island could rise "significantly" as forensic work continues to identify the victims. Teams have been marking residences with a bright orange X to document an initial search and alert HR when human remains are discovered.
As officials continue to battle the destruction, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA predicted the cost of rebuilding the wildfire-ravaged town of Lahaina might reach $5.52 billion.
Were the Maui fires arson?
As authorities continue their investigation to determine the cause of Maui wildfires, several internet theories believe that the destructive flames were arson.
‘I have no doubt in my mind that just like all the fires in Canada that this fire on Maui was arson started by eco-terrorism, climate activists,’ one Twitter user claimed.
“We're either going to discover the Maui fires were human-caused (arson or accident) or above-ground power lines,” a second user said, citing a 2018 Maui Wildfire Risk Report.
Another social media user blamed climate activists for sparking the Maui wildfires, claiming “Those fires in California were ARSON. In one case by an unhoused person and in others by climate activists who wanted to blame global warming. Maui probably has the same cause. Dozens dead. Murdered by terrorists who are tools of Democrats.”
Another user shared a video of boats burning on water, to support his claims that the Maui wildfires were sparked intentionally. “If this is a true video of Maui, it’s certainly arson,” the user wrote.
“Why are the survivors of the Maui fires saying it was caused by arson, bombs, and directed laser type weapons? The evidence would support what the survivors are saying ie trees left standing and 1 house destroyed while those next to it were not touched. They say Black Rock was pressuring residents to sell, in the burned neighborhoods, but local residents refused - then the fires," one more user said.
Why Hawaiian Electric is being sued?
These claims came after several law firms announced plans to take legal action against Hawaiian Electric, alleging that the state's largest power company may be at fault for the devastating wildfires.
Attorneys from Watts Guerra, Singleton Schreiber, and Frantz Law Group who have been gathering information, speaking to witnesses, and analyzing data to support their claims, believe that Hawaiian Electric's damaged power infrastructure served as the ignition source for the fires.
"All evidence — videos, witness accounts, burn progression, and utility equipment remaining — points to Hawaiian Electric’s equipment being the ignition source of the fire that devastated Lahaina," claimed Mikal Watts, a Puerto Rico-based plaintiff lawyer at Watts Guerra, as per Business Standard.
