Maui Fire Chief Bradford Ventura explained, "The origin of the fire was the overgrown vegetation at and surrounding utility pole 25 off of Lahainaluna Road. The cause of the fire was the re-energization of broken utility lines which caused the ejection of molten metallic material (sparks) to fall to the base of pole 25, igniting the unmaintained vegetation below."
The investigation revealed, "This, in fact, was one fire," clarifying that the widespread destruction was nonetheless caused by a single ignition point due to faulty infrastructure.
The report stated, "The widespread destruction was caused by a single fire that started by the undetected re-energization of broken utility lines, which caused sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation," emphasizing the fire's accidental ignition.
The devastation from the wildfire, which killed 102 people and destroyed over 2,200 structures, has been labeled the deadliest U.S. wildfire in history and highlights severe vulnerabilities in infrastructure and emergency response.
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