At least 115 people have lost their lives in the devastating forest fires on Maui, making it the deadliest fire in the United States in the past century.
Hundreds more are still missing, and some have been confirmed alive after the island's authorities released a list of 388 individuals whose fate was unknown.
Hawaii's electric utility, Hawaiian Electric Company, has now acknowledged that their power lines were the ignition point for the initial fire.
However, the company partially absolves itself of responsibility by pointing to the island's fire department, which left the scene with the message that the fire was under control. Shortly thereafter, a second fire broke out, becoming the deadliest in the U.S. in a very long time.
The electric company had previously denied any liability, calling the accusations from Maui authorities "factually and legally irresponsible."
They claim that the power lines in the area where the fire started had been de-energized for more than six hours.
Additionally, there has been widespread criticism of Hawaii's authorities for not activating the island's warning system, which could have exacerbated the situation as people instinctively would have sought refuge in the burning forests.
