About 3,000 Maui Electric Company customers on Molokai were affected Sunday evening by an islandwide power outage, according to the company.

MECO's three primary electric generators were tripped offline due to a pole fire at the Palaau Substation.  It appears to have started from a contaminated insulator.

The fire led to a safety mechanism that protects the electrical system during severe disruptions by turning off power to some or all customers.

MECO Molokai crews worked through the night to replace the pole and conduct repairs.

Power was restored for all Molokai customers by 6:30 a.m. Monday.

MECO extends a sincere apology to all of our customers on Molokai and thanks everyone affected for their patience and understanding.