US Government Sues SoCal Edison Over Deadly 14,000-Acre Fairview Fire In Hemet

HEMET, CA — The United States filed a lawsuit last week seeking millions of dollars in damages against Southern California Edison Co., alleging the company’s negligence caused the deadly Sept. 5, 2022, Fairview Fire in Hemet.

The federal suit was one of a pair filed Thursday by the government against SCE in connection with deadly wildfires. The other suit is connected to the Jan. 7, 2025, Eaton Fire that ignited in Los Angeles County.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a sagging power line owned, maintained and operated by SCE came into contact with a Frontier Communications messenger cable, creating sparks that ignited the Fairview Fire in Hemet.

The lawsuit alleges that SCE failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines in or around the area where the Fairview Fire 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.

The Fairview Fire burned nearly 14,000 acres within the San Bernardino National Forest. In addition to the damage caused to the forest, the fire burned 44 structures, claimed two lives, and injured three people, including two firefighters.

Forest Service roads were destroyed or damaged by the fire. The roads were also put at risk from falling rocks, debris slides, debris flows, and hyper-concentrated floods, according to the government.

The Red Mountain Lookout, a facility used for fire detection in the forest’s remote areas, was also destroyed.

The Fairview Fire’s effects have been, and will continue to be, detrimental to wildlife and habitats, including federally protected threatened and endangered species, the government said.

The United States is seeking to recover approximately $37 million in damages incurred by the Forest Service from the Fairview Fire, including roughly $20 million in fire suppression costs.

Related: 15 Images Show Devastation Of Fairview Fire In Riverside County

The 8,000-acre Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County that burned earlier this year was similarly ignited from faulty power infrastructure owned, maintained, and operated by SCE, according to the federal government.

SCE admitted that it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started, according to the lawsuit.

The fire that tore through the Angeles National Forest killed 18 people and burned more than 10,000 structures.

Additionally, the fire destroyed or damaged Forest Service roads, trails, campgrounds, and other facilities. Miles of recreational trails visited by hundreds of thousands of people per year were closed because of the fire, which also impacted water quality in the burn area and beyond.

The U.S. Forest Service incurred millions of dollars in costs to suppress the Eaton Fire, according to the federal government, which is seeking more than $40 million in damages. Those damages include, but are not limited to fire suppression costs, rehabilitation of burned areas, and other environmental damages.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the Sept. 4 lawsuits show "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."

He continued, "Hardworking Californians should not pick up the tab for Edison’s negligence."

In a released statement about the lawsuits, SCE spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy said, "We’re reviewing these lawsuits and we’ll respond through the appropriate legal channels. Edison continues our work to reduce the likelihood of SCE’s equipment from starting a wildfire."

SCE is an investor-owned public utility operating as a subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE EIX).