Due to the immediate threat of wildfires from high winds and dry conditions, Hawaiian Electric announced Wednesday that its Public Safety Power Shutoff program will start around noon and proactively shut off power in communities in West Maui with high exposure to wildfire risk.

The shutoff is expected to last most of the day. Customers in affected areas are urged to prepare to implement their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages.

In addition, Hawaiian Electric is working to restore power to a non-PSPS outage in Upcountry Maui affecting approximately 150 customers.

If necessary, Hawaiian Electric said it will proactively shut off power on other islands to address any immediate wildfire risks.

“We sincerely apologize for the disruption. We have activated our PSPS program as a last line of defense to protect lives and reduce the risk of a wildfire,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely and restore power as soon as we can safely do so.”

For more information and maps, call Hawaiian Electric’s PSPS hotline at 1-844-483-8666 toll-free or go to hawaiianelectric.com/PSPS. Follow Hawaiian Electric on social media or our mobile app.

PSPS Process

• Power will remain shut off so long as hazardous weather conditions persist.

• When the weather improves, power lines must be inspected and any damage must be repaired before service can be restored. This may involve ground crews and aerial inspections using helicopters and drones.

• This process may result in extended outages lasting several hours, possibly even days depending on the location and extent of any damage.