SoCal Edison To Pay Record Sum For Destructive LA County Wildfire

LOS ANGELES, CA — Southern California Edison has agreed to pay $82.5 million to cover the costs and damages incurred by the 2020 Bobcat Fire, one of the most destructive blazes ever in Los Angeles County's history.

Federal authorities made the announcement Friday, calling it "the largest-ever wildfire cost recovery settlement by the United States in the Central District of California."

“This record settlement against Southern California Edison provides meaningful compensation to taxpayers for the extensive costs of fighting the Bobcat Fire and for the widespread damage to public lands,” United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement Thursday. “My office will continue to aggressively pursue recovery for suppression costs and environmental damages from any entity that causes harm to the public’s forests and other precious national resources.”

The Bobcat Fire started on Sept. 6, 2020, when a tree maintenance contractor came in contact with nearby powerlines, according to the United States Attorney's Office. The trees had not been properly maintained by Southern California Edison before that day, federal prosecutors said.

SEE ALSO: Bobcat Fire May Have Started When Branches Hit Power Lines: SCE

The blaze erupted through the Angeles National Forest, burning through nearly 100,000 acres and several thousand more acres nearby, according to federal authorities. The blaze prompted the road closure of more than 100 miles of trails and campgrounds for years, federal authorities said.

It destroyed 170 structures, including several homes, as it burned from north of Monrovia to Juniper Hills. It also had a detrimental impact on wildlife habitats, especially the federally endangered yellow-legged frog, federal authorities said.

On behalf of the Forest Service, the United States filed a lawsuit against SCE in 2023 to recover the costs of what the agency spent fighting the blaze and the damages it caused, according to federal authorities.

SCE agreed to settle the lawsuit this week and will have to pay out $82.5 million within 60 days of May 14, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Although SCE previously acknowledged that their equipment may have started the blaze, federal prosecutors said the settlement absolves them from any fault.

“We are grateful to receive these settlement funds, which mark an important step toward recovery and restoration,” Deputy Forest Supervisor Tony Martinez of the Angeles National Forest said in a statement. “These resources will help us rehabilitate burned areas, restore wildlife habitats, and strengthen our forests’ resilience to future wildfires.”

The Bobcat Fire is not the first major wildfire that may have been started by SCE equipment. SCE acknowledged that it may be responsible for the deadly 2018 Woolsey Fire after Ventura County Fire Department officials concluded the blaze was caused by SCE equipment.

Earlier this year, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against SCE, alleging that the company's equipment caused the deadly Eaton Fire in Altadena. The cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation and David Eisenhower with SCE told KTLA earlier this year that the company is working with fire investigators to determine a cause.

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Los Angeles Editor Paige Austin contributed to this report.