330 upcountry Maui HECO customers without power

About 330 Hawaiian Electric customers are without power in upcountry Maui after Hawaiian Electric shut off their power due to the ongoing threat of wildfires from recent high winds and dry conditions.

The Maui Emergency Management Agency released a wind advisory early this morning for portions of Maui County, including Lanai, Kahoolawe, Molokai, central Maui and areas south of Haleakala.

In an update this afternoon, HECO said it activated its Public Safety Power Shutoff program (PSPS) to upcountry Maui and said that customers in all high wildfire risk areas should “prepare for the possibility of extended power outages.”

Jim Alberts, HECO senior vice president and chief operations officer, apologized for the disruption in a statement released Sunday.

”We have activated our PSPS program as a last line of defense to protect lives and reduce the risk of a wildfire,” Alberts said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely and restore power as soon as we can safely do so.”

HECO said that the PSPS process will shut off power as long as hazardous weather conditions persist.

When the weather improves, HECO said the power lines will be inspected and any damage must be repaired before service can be restored. That could include ground crews and aerial inspections involving helicopters and drones.

The PSPS process could result in extended outages lasting hours to days depending on the location and damage, HECO said.

HECO recommends staying at least 30 feet or more away from all power lines, turning off all electric appliances are off and using extreme caution while driving as power interruptions could cause traffic signals to stop working without warning.

HECO has released maps of specific areas on each island that have high wildfire risk and could be affected by a PSPS outage on its website.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC’S TROUBLE LINES

>> Oahu: +1-855-304-1212

>> Hawaii Island: +1-855-304-9191

>> Maui County: +1-855-304-8181