Justice Department sues SoCal Edison over Eaton and Fairview fires, seeking more than $77 million in damages
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced legal action against Southern California Edison related to damages during the Eaton and Fairview wildfires.
At a news conference on Thursday morning, Essalyi said his office has filed two civil lawsuits against the utility aimed at recovering "tens of millions of dollars in damages." He accused the SoCal Edison of repeated negligence that led to the destruction of "tens of thousands of acres" of federal land.
"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," Essayli said.
In a statement to CBS Los Angeles, Diane Castro, a spokesperson for SCE, said the Eaton Fire was "heartbreaking" and they are reviewing the lawsuit.
"We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire," Castro said. "SCE is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.
In the Eaton Fire lawsuit, Essayli alleges SCE "negligently failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines in the area where the fire ignited." He added that the utility "admitted that it detected a fault on one of its transmission lines" around the time that the fire sparked.
The Eaton Fire erupted on Jan. 7 in the Eaton Canyon community and quickly spread by life-threatening Santa Ana winds. The blaze damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures, killed 18 people and burned nearly 8,000 acres of federal land in the Angeles National Forest.
He said the fire left parts of the city looking like a "bombed-out war zone."
He said the U.S. will be seeking $40 million in damages for the Eaton Fire.
Essayli also accuses the utility company of being responsible for the Fairview Fire that erupted on Sept. 5, 2022, which killed two people.
The lawsuit claims that the fire started when a "sagging power line owned, maintained, and operated" by SCE came into contact with a Frontier Communications messenger cable, and created sparks. Essayli said the fire burned nearly 14,000 acres of land within the San Bernardino National Forest and damaged or destroyed forest service roads.
The Fairview lawsuit alleges SCE failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines near where the fire started. It also claims the utility failed to ensure the minimum clearance between its power lines and the Frontier Communications messenger cable.
"I want to be very clear about this, it is our intention that Southern California Edison, the company itself, and not the rate payers will bear the burden of these costs," Essayli said.
The U.S. is seeking about $47 million in damages for the Fairview Fire.
"Innocent hard-working Californians who pay their electricity bills should not have to pay for Edison's negligence by incurring higher utility rates," Essayli said.
Several other lawsuits have been filed against SCE, including by LA County and the city of Pasadena.