First time! Relatives of wildfire victims in Hawaii, USA sue the government for serious dereliction of duty
The father of a victim of a wildfire in Hawaii, USA, has sued the governments of Hawaii and Maui County, accusing both levels of government of serious dereliction of duty that led to the wildfire burning down the resort town of La Haina on Maui Island.
According to Reuters on the 5th, plaintiff Harold Wells filed a lawsuit in a state court in Hawaii on behalf of himself and the heirs of his 57 year old daughter Rebecca Lance. The defendants include the state government of Hawaii, the Maui County government, the Hawaiian Electric Company, and the largest private landowner in Hawaii, Bishop Properties.
Reuters reported that this is the first time a public has filed a lawsuit against the state government over the August wildfire in Hawaii.
Wells pointed out that the defendant had long been aware of the risk of wildfires in Hawaii and that the disaster could have been avoided, but the defendant did not take corresponding measures to reduce the fire risk. He believes that the state and county governments, as well as large landowners such as Bi Xiaopu Real Estate, have a responsibility to regularly clean up dry vegetation, but they have not done so. Hawaiian Electric Company failed to cut off power during strong winds, leading to a fire.
According to a statement issued by the plaintiff's lawyer on the 5th, cited by Russia's Sputnik News Agency, the plaintiff also pointed out that officials from the Maui County government were not adequately prepared for the fire and did not warn residents that the fire would spread quickly. Otherwise, the victims such as Lance should have had enough time to escape and should be held responsible.
According to Reuters, the Hawaii Attorney General's Office is reviewing litigation documents. Bi Xiaopu Real Estate did not comment on this on the 5th. A spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric Company stated that the company does not comment on the ongoing litigation. Hawaiian Electric Company is facing more than ten civil compensation lawsuits filed by the Maui County government, corporate investors, and local residents. Regarding the lawsuit filed by the Maui County government, Hawaiian Electric Company argued at the end of August that the initial two small-scale fires were indeed caused by the company's transmission lines, but the later fires were not related to the company's transmission lines.
Maoi County includes islands such as Maoi Island and Lanai Island. Maui Island is the second largest island in the Hawaiian Islands, with a population of over 100000. The population of Lahaina Town is about 13000. The wildfire that began on August 8th is the deadliest wildfire in over a century in the United States, and the cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined. The official death toll is 115, and the latest missing person is 388.