VIDEO: Downed cables on Maui have many residents worried it could potentially spark a fire. The company that owns the lines promises there is no danger. But community members still want them fixed. Anthony Goodrich worries the cables in the shrubs along Honoapiilani Highway in Wailuku near a neighborhood and next to a busy road is a hazard.
โI just think that whoever responsible for these wires should not have them hanging and on the ground. They belong above our head,โ Goodrich said. Angela Vessell said the cables right outside her backyard has been that way for years. “I made it a point for my husband to at least call,โ Vessell said. โHe called. They said that they were looking to it and took down his number and theyโll do a follow-up, but they never. Itโs been three years, and they havenโt done a follow-up.โ
Hawaiian Telcom said the wires are strictly communications cables and are not co-located with any electric lines. โWe would like to reassure the Wailuku community that communications cables do not produce any electrical charge, so there is no risk of ignition. We are asking the community for their patience as Hawaiian Telcomโs technicians on Maui and additional crews deploy from Oahu make this and other maintenance projects Maui their top priorities,โ said Nathan Hokama, Hawaiian Telcom Communications spokesperson.
