A family of a woman who died desperately trying to flee the wildfires in Maui is suing the county and others for her death, which they say could have been prevented.
Rebecca Rans, 57, died while escaping the flames with her longtime partner, Doug Gloege. She is one of 115 people who died in the deadly blaze that left 300 people missing.
On Monday, her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Maui County, the state, Maui Electric, the state, and Bishop Estate. The estate is the largest landowner in Hawaii and dates back to the royal family.
The family accused government officials of not using an alarm to notify residents of the spreading fire. It also blames Bishop Estates for failing to maintain its alleged fire-prone properties.
“The combination of weather, uncontrolled vegetation and aging electrical infrastructure created a tinder box that was about to explode in Maui. The risk was not theoretical. Grass-induced and grass-fed fires continue to increase in Hawaii,” the suit said.
The family of Rebecca Rans (pictured), 57, who died in the wildfires in Maui last month, is suing the county, state and Hawaii’s largest landowner over the deadly wildfires
Wildfires in Maui killed 115 people and more than 300 are still missing
Rans’ family is demanding an undisclosed amount of money in the lawsuit. It is one of 18 civil lawsuits related to the fires.
Before the tragedy, Rans lived in Lahaina, Maui, with her three children for more than 20 years.
When Rans’ body was found, she was wearing a slipper and a gold bracelet that read “kuuipo,” which means sweetheart in Hawaiian.
“As a direct and direct result of the carelessness and negligence of the landowners defendants, Rebecca Rans lost her life,” the indictment reads.
Bishop Estate is the largest private landowner in Hawaii and the largest privately funded charity. It is overseen by five trustees and holds assets worth more than $20 billion. The sole beneficiary of this estate is the Kamehameha Schools, which have approximately 5,500 students.
The family says the landowner and the state have failed to maintain vegetation on their property to minimize fire risk.
“As someone who has spent most of my life in Hawaii, I have witnessed firsthand how the island of Maui has been taken over by invasive, non-native and combustible grasses and shrubs,” said the family’s attorney, Jim Bickerton. in a statement.
Bishop Estate of Kamehameha Schools said in a statement: “At this time, our hearts are all touched by the fires in Maui and their ‘ohana’, but declined to comment further as the fires are still under investigation.
Government officials also declined to comment on the lawsuit.
“As a direct and direct result of the carelessness and negligence of the landowners defendants, Rebecca Rans lost her life,” the indictment reads.
The family also wonders why emergency services never sounded the alarm sirens during the fire
The family also wondered why emergency services never sounded the alarm sirens during the fire.
“Why didn’t alarms go off?… She had severe arthritis in her feet. She could barely walk, let alone run,” Kathleen Hennricks, Rans’ sister, said at a press conference. USA today.
Rans’ body was found behind a building with her boyfriend as they tried to flee the fire, the family claims.
The family admitted they had no plans to sue until they heard the head of Maui’s Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya, tell the media that he did not regret not triggering the alert. He later resigned, amid backlash over that decision.
“I feel like what we’re doing isn’t just about my sister, it’s about all the people this has happened to. And the people who still haven’t been found,’ Hennricks said.
“I feel like what we’re doing isn’t just about my sister, it’s about all the people this has happened to. And the people who still haven’t been found,’ said Kathleen Hennricks, Rans’ sister.
Maui County has filed its own lawsuit over the blaze, blaming the power company for causing the deadly fires
The Maui County lawsuit alleges that the company acted negligently by failing to turn off power to the area following the Red Flag high wind warning issued by the National Weather Services at 5 a.m. Aug. 7.
Power company leaders claimed that cutting power could harm the elderly and hospital patients, while shutting down the water pumps needed to fight fires.
The company admits it was nearly 9 a.m. on August 8 before the power was cut, by which time power lines were already falling with gusts of up to 80 mph.
Videos have surfaced on Facebook claiming to show power lines entangled with overgrown trees and vegetation.
But the power company says downed lines only led to a previous fire that was contained. Hours later, the deadly fire broke out.
“Shortly before 3 p.m., while power was out, our crew members noticed a small fire about 250 feet away from Lahainaluna Road in the field near the Intermediate School,” the company said in a statement.
“They immediately called 911 and reported the fire.
“By the time the Maui County Fire Department returned to the scene, it was no longer able to contain the afternoon blaze and it was spreading out of control toward Lahaina.”