Hawai‘i Electric Light Urges Residents to be Safe

Hawai‘i Electric Light wants to remind the community that electricity can be dangerous and electrical safety should never be taken for granted.

Fissure 7 began yesterday morning around dawn and was active for several hours. At the peak of its activity, large bubble bursts occurred at one spot (lower left) in the fissure while spattering was present in other portions. A short lava flow was erupted from the fissure around 8 a.m. HST, moving northeast and crossing Hookupu St. USGS Photo. (Click to enlarge)

“Utility equipment has been damaged by lava in the Leilani Estates subdivision,” said company spokesperson Rhea Lee-Moku. “Company employees are unable to enter restricted areas to restore power or confirm problems with electrical service. Everyone should treat lines, transformers, and other utility equipment as energized even if the equipment is on the ground.”

Stay away from downed or low hanging power lines. Assume they are energized and dangerous. If you see someone injured after touching a downed power line, call 9-1-1 for help.

When using a portable generator, carefully read and follow instructions in the manufacturer’s manual. Do not plug the generator into your household electrical outlets. Generators, if used improperly, can cause back-feed into the electric grid and be dangerous for utility workers as well as your neighbors.

Hawai‘i Electric Light’s free “Handbook for Emergency Preparedness” provides detailed information on preparing your home and ohana for emergency situations. The handbook is available in English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Korean, and Vietnamese and can be found at the company’s business offices, on its website or by calling (808) 327-0543.

Updates will be provided to the media and community and also posted on Hawai‘i Electric Light’s website (www.hawaiielectriclight.com), Twitter (@HIElectricLight), and Facebook (HawaiianElectric) accounts.