Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles Thursday sued Southern California Edison over its alleged role in the devastating Eaton and Fairview fires, which burned tens of thousands of acres of National Forest lands, killed a total of 21 people, and destroyed thousands of buildings.
"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," Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. "We hope that today's filings are the first step in causing the beginnings of a culture change at Southern California Edison, one that will make it a responsible, conscientious company that helps -- not harms -- our community. Hardworking Californians should not pick up the tab for Edison's negligence."
SoCal Edison did not immediately provide a response when contacted by City News Service.
Both fires damaged federal government-owned land and property. The lawsuits seek to recover tens of millions of dollars in costs due to fire suppression and rehabilitation of national forest property.
As in previous lawsuits stemming from the Eaton fire, federal prosecutors allege Socal Edison's equipment caused the Jan. 7 blaze, which destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures in Altadena and killed 19 people, making it one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.
Prosecutors said the U.S. Forest Service incurred millions of dollars in costs to suppress the Eaton blaze. The lawsuit seeks more than $40 million in damages, which include, but are not limited to fire suppression costs, rehabilitation of burned areas, and other environmental damages.
According to the Eaton lawsuit, SoCal Edison admitted that it detected a "fault" on one of its transmission lines around the time that the fire started. Prosecutors allege the utility negligently failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines and infrastructure in the area where the Eaton fire ignited.
In a July 31 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SoCal Edison reported that it was "not aware of evidence pointing to another possible source of ignition," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Fairview Fire broke out in September 2022 in Riverside County, killing two people and forcing the evacuations of thousands in Hemet. Federal prosecutors contend that a sagging power line owned, maintained and operated by SoCal Edison came into contact with a Frontier communications messenger cable, creating sparks that ignited vegetation below the lines in Hemet.
The fire burned nearly 14,000 acres within the San Bernardino National Forest. Forest Service roads were destroyed or damaged by the fire.
The United States is seeking to recover nearly $37 million in damages incurred by the Forest Service, including about $20 million in fire suppression costs, according to the Fairview suit.
The Red Mountain Lookout, a facility used for fire detection in the forest's remote areas was destroyed. The fire's effects have been, and will continue to be, detrimental to wildlife and habitats, including federally protected threatened and endangered species, prosecutors maintain.
In addition to the damage caused to the national forest, the Fairview fire burned 44 structures, claimed two lives, and injured three people -- including two firefighters.
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The lawsuit alleges that SoCal Edison failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines in or around the area where the Fairview blaze ignited. It also failed to ensure the minimum clearance between its power lines and the Frontier Communications messenger cable in the area where the fire ignited, prosecutors allege.
The Eaton fire ignited around 6:20 p.m. Jan. 7 near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the foothills above Altadena during hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire. The blaze burned roughly 14,021 acres over 24 days, destroying about 9,414 structures and damaging another 1,074.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
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