The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a pair of lawsuits against Southern California Edison seeking at least $77 million in damages and accusing the company of negligence in relation to this year’s Eaton fire and the Fairview fire of 2022, authorities said Thursday, Sept. 4.
The government is seeking more than $40 million in damages for the Eaton fire, and $37 million in damages for the Fairview fire. Those funds are what the U.S. estimated it spent on fighting those blazes.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“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,” he said. “Hardworking Californians should not pick up the tab for Edison’s negligence.”
SoCal Edison may sue public agencies that could share liability for Eaton fire damage
The fires, which burned in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, scarred tens of thousands of acres of National Forest system lands, killed 21 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The Eaton fire, which started on Jan. 7, charred more than 14,000 acres and killed 19 people before it was contained a month later. The fire damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures, mostly in Altadena and Pasadena.
The Fairview fire broke out east of Hemet in September 2022 and killed two people while destroying or damaging 27 homes and burning about 28,000 acres. A Cal Fire investigatory report determined the cause of the fire was a sagging Edison electrical line that came into contact with a communications cable during strong winds, causing an arc that ignited the blaze.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.