HEI - Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.

02/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/16/2026 21:17

5 p.m.: Worsening wildfire risk conditions as humidity decreases in South Kohala on Hawaii Island

5 p.m.: Worsening wildfire risk conditions as humidity decreases in South Kohala on Hawaii Island

Hawaiian Electric monitoring Public Safety Power Shutoff areas in parts of Hawaii Island, Maui

Release Date: 2/16/2026

Download PDF

HONOLULU, Feb. 16, 2026 - Hawaiian Electric teams continue to closely monitor weather conditions that may call for a Public Safety Power Shutoff in parts of Hawaii Island and Maui this week. Today, relative humidity levels, particularly in the South Kohala area on Hawaii Island, decreased over the course of the day, often dipping below 45%. Wind gusts were up to 50 mph at times, but did not occur concurrently with low relative humidity levels. In determining whether to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff, Hawaiian Electric requires the following criteria to be met concurrently: persistent drought conditions, wind gusts 45 mph and higher, and relative humidity below 45%.

If necessary, Hawaiian Electric may implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff program within the next 24 hours and proactively shut off power in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk. Customers in these areas are urged to initiate their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages. Any current outages are not related to the company's PSPS program.

What we're doing

At Hawaiian Electric, our PSPS emergency response plan includes:

  • Closely monitoring weather
  • Coordinating with state and county emergency response officials
  • Pre-positioning Hawaiian Electric crews and their equipment at strategic locations to speed restoration
  • Urging customers to prepare for possible power outages with safety as their main focus

For more information and maps of areas that have high wildfire risk, go to hawaiianelectric.com/PSPS or call Hawaiian Electric's PSPS toll-free hotline at .

Stay informed on these mobile-friendly resources:

HEI - Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. published this content on February 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 17, 2026 at 03:17 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]