The federal government filed two lawsuits on 4 September against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked fires including January’s Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area.
The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures and fatally injured 17 people.
US Attorney Bill Essayli spoke at a news conference: “The lawsuits filed today allege a troubling pattern of negligence resulting in death, destruction and tens of millions of federal taxpayer dollars spent to clean up one utility company’s mistakes.”
The filings allege that Edison failed to properly maintain its power and transmission infrastructure in the area where the Eaton Fire ignited on 7 January.
It asks for more than $40 million in damages to the federal, state and local governments.
Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford said the utility is reviewing the lawsuits. Monford explained: “We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire.
“Southern California Edison is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.”
The company has stated it operates three transmission towers in the Eaton Canyon area overlooking the unincorporated area of Altadena, which was ravaged by the fire.
In early reports to the California Public Utility Commission, Edison has said it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started.
In a 31 July report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the utility said while it has “not conclusively determined” its equipment was responsible for the fire, there was “concerning circumstantial evidence” that suggests its transmission facilities in the area could have been associated with the starting of the fire.
It also said it was “not aware of evidence pointing to another possible source of ignition,” according to the report cited in the lawsuit.
Though the investigation into the fire is still ongoing, Essayli said the government is confident moving forward with the lawsuit, especially with fire season quickly approaching.
Essayli shared: “There’s no reason to wait. We believe that the evidence is clear that Edison is at fault and by their own admissions, no one else is at fault.”
A second lawsuit filed on 4 September alleges that Edison’s negligence led to the sparking of the Fairview Fire in September 2022, which scorched the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County.
According to the filing, a sagging power line in Hemet, California, operated by Edison came into contact with a Frontier Communications messenger cable, which created sparks and ignited the vegetation below.
That fire burned more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) of forest, killing two people and destroying 44 structures. The government is seeking $37 million in damages incurred by the US Forest Service.
Essayli said he will seek terms that prevent Edison from paying for the lawsuits by raising their utility rates.
Several Altadena residents who lost their homes sued Edison in January, days after the fire broke out.
Their attorneys said at the time they believed Edison’s equipment caused it, pointing to video taken during the fire’s early minutes that showed a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers.
Los Angeles County sued Edison in March, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for costs and damages sustained from the blaze.
The federal government filed two lawsuits on 4 September against Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked fires including January’s Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area.
