SoCal Edison Caused Eaton Fire And Must Pay For The Catastrophic Damage, DOJ Says

LOS ANGELES, CA — The federal government on Thursday sued Southern California Edison, claiming the utility's negligence is to blame for the devastating Eaton and Fairview fires.

"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."

Essayli said he will seek terms that prevent Edison from paying for the lawsuits by raising their utility rates. It asks for more than $40 million in damages to be paid to federal, state and local governments.

The suits center around January's Eaton Fire — which killed 19 people and burned 9,400 structures in and around Altadena — and the 2022 Fairview fire, which killed two people and burned 44 structures in Riverside County.

Prosecutors claim faulty SoCal Edison equipment ignited both wildfires.

Eaton Fire

The cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation, but several lawsuits have already laid blame on SoCal Edison.

Federal prosecutors claim SoCal Edison admitted that it detected a "fault" on one of its transmission lines around the time that the fire started. Prosecutors claim 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 government is seeking some $40 million in damages, which include fire suppression costs, rehabilitation of burned areas, and other environmental damages.

The fire burned 8,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest, destroying or damaging Forest Service roads, trails, campgrounds and other facilities. Hiking trails were closed because of the fire, which also impacted water quality, prosecutors claim.

Fairview Fire

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 government is seeking some $37 million in damages incurred by the Forest Service, including about $20 million in fire suppression costs, according to the 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.

The lawsuit claims 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 cable in the area where the fire ignited, prosecutors claim.

SoCal Edison's Response

A SoCal Edison spokesman said that the utility would respond to the specific allegations in court.

"Our thoughts are with the community affected by the Fairview Fire. We are reviewing the lawsuit and will respond through the appropriate channels. We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire. SCE is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices," he said.

"The Eaton Fire was heartbreaking for so many of us who live and work in the Los Angeles area. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, we will review this lawsuit and respond through the appropriate legal channels," he continued.

Gerald “Jerry” Singleton, managing partner of Singleton Schreiber, told Patch that the government's lawsuit is expected.

“It is standard for governmental entities – federal, state and local – to bring suits to recover the expenses they incurred as a result of utility fires, so this is not a surprise," he said.

Singleton's firm is among those representing Eaton Fire victims in lawsuits filed earlier this year against SoCal Edison.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.