Hawaiian Electric to shut off power in parts of West Maui amid increased fire risk

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaiian Electric announced Wednesday that it will activate its Public Safety Power Shutoff program amid the increased wildfire risk.
Power is expected to be shut off around 12 p.m. for high risk communities in West Maui.
HECO officials are urging customers to prepare for the possibility of extended power outages as the shutoff may last most of the day, for safety reasons.
“We sincerely apologize for the disruption. We have activated our PSPS program as a last line of defense to protect lives and reduce the risk of a wildfire,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely and restore power as soon as we can safely do so.”
If necessary, Hawaiian Electric said it will shut off power on other islands to address any immediate wildfire risks.
Meanwhile, crews are working to restore power to a non-PSPS outage in Upcountry Maui that’s impacting approximately 150 customers.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a red flag warning for leeward areas of all islands from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Forecasters say dry fuels combined with strong and gusty trade winds and low humidity will produce critical fire weather conditions from late Wednesday morning through the afternoon.
Forecasts call for east winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Relative humidity levels are expected to drop to near 40% during the afternoon hours Wednesday.
Our HNN First Alert Weather Team has marked Wednesday as a First Alert Weather Day for the entire state until 6 p.m.
HNN issues First Alert Weather Day amid dry, blustery conditions
In wake of the red flag warning the superintendent for Baldwin Kekaulike Kulanihako’i Maui schools sent a letter to families saying in part:
“To ensure the safety of students and staff, schools consult with Department of Education leadership to determine if a closure is necessary… Throughout the day, we will continue to closely monitor campus conditions and communicate with the Maui Emergency Management Agency to assess safety risks for the Maui public school campuses. As part of our emergency procedures, we will notify our families immediately of any changes.”
The red flag warning does not predict where and when new fires will start. However, expert say the strong winds and low humidity, coupled with dry brush due to drought conditions, will contribute to extreme fire behavior, and any fires that do start will spread rapidly.
Officials are urging the public to delay all outdoor activities that include open flames, including outdoor cooking, welding and grinding during the time.
It is recommended that any activities that could throw off sparks should be delayed until after the winds die down.
For actions you can take to protect life and property from wildfires, click here.
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