Cause Identified In Hawaii’s Deadliest Wildfire

It spread rapidly and became the fifth deadliest in U.S. history and the worst natural disaster in Hawaii's history.

Investigators have revealed the cause of the fatal Maui wildfire that destroyed the area last August.

A nearly 300-page report was released by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which worked with local officials to determine the cause.

The fire was originally blamed on the combination of high winds and dry weather. However, the investigation found the widespread destruction was caused by a single fire that started by an “undetected reenergization of broken utility lines, which caused sparks that ignited unmaintained vegetation.”

The report found the fire cause to be accidental.

It spread rapidly and became the fifth deadliest in U.S. history and the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history.

The flames claimed the lives of 102 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures, causing more than $5 billion in damage.