The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed lawsuits against Southern California Edison (SCE) over the deadly Eaton and Fairview fires. The lawsuits, announced on Thursday, allege negligence by SCE, which the DOJ claims led to the ignition of these devastating wildfires.
The Eaton Fire, which began in January, is one of the most destructive in California’s history. It killed 19 people and burned over 14,000 acres, including nearly 8,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest. According to the DOJ, the fire was sparked by faulty power infrastructure owned and maintained by SCE. The Fairview Fire, which occurred in September 2022, burned over 28,000 acres in Riverside County and claimed two lives. The DOJ alleges that a sagging SCE power line ignited the fire when it came into contact with a Frontier Communications cable.
The DOJ is seeking more than $77 million in damages for both fires, including over $40 million for the Eaton Fire and $37 million for the Fairview Fire. Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, “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.” He emphasized that the lawsuits aim to prevent SCE from passing the costs onto ratepayers…