Hawaiian Electric points to Maui wildfire upgrades ahead of Tropical Storm Lala

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaiian Electric said it’s better prepared for a hurricane because of what it learned from the Maui wildfires.

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After wind-blown and tree-damaged lines caused the 2023 fires, the company greatly increased tree trimming around transmission lines, which also prevented power outages.

Ahead of the wildfire season, HECO also replaced 1,650 utility poles and upgraded 850 others in 2025.

HECO said it also has more staff and equipment ready to respond.

“A lot of it is very methodically working through our emergency response plan, getting our crews staffed up, making sure that our equipment is functioning,” said HECO spokesperson Darren Pai.

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“We have all the supplies, and whether we need our vehicles are fueled up and ready to go so that if and when the storm does cause any impacts, we’re able to just respond as quickly as we can,” Pai added.

HECO said it’s monitoring Tropical Storm Lala and possible impacts as it approaches.

The company also said if power goes out, people should unplug computers and other appliances that are not on surge protectors so they will not be damaged when the power comes back on.

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Click here for HECO’s power-outage maps for Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.

Click here for HECO’s Storm Center for additional resources.