A lawsuit filed by the U.S. government this week is seeking damages from Southern California Edison for costs of suppressing and harm to natural resources stemming from the 2019 Saddleridge fire.
The fire, which began near Sylmar and burned around 800 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest, started after a part of an SCE transmission tower failed and led to a power line falling onto the tower, which caused an electrical fault, according to the complaint, filed in U.S. federal court Tuesday.
The fire burned nearly 9,000 acres in total and killed one, Cal Fire data shows. It damaged around 90 structures and destroyed another 20.
The complaint alleges SCE knew about the dangers of the high wind events and failed to properly maintain its equipment. It states it was SCE’s responsibility “to properly inspect and maintain the areas through which its power and transmission lines passed to ensure they were safe and clear from dangerous conditions,” which the utility company neglected to do.
The federal government is seeking damages for the “substantial cost” of fighting the fire and restoring the National Forest lands affected by the fire.
“Out hearts are with the people and communities that we affected. We are reviewing the lawsuit that has been filed and will respond through the legal process,” SCE spokesperson, Gabriela Ornelas said.
SCE has also been accused of negligence in separate lawsuits by the U.S. government in January’s Eaton fire and the 2022 Fairview fire, filed in early September.
Related Posts:
- Southern California Edison sued for 2019 Saddleridge fire damage by federal government News A lawsuit filed by the U.S. government this week is seeking damages from Southern California Edison for costs of suppressing and harm to natural resources stemming from the 2019 Saddleridge fire. The fire, which began near Sylmar and burned around 800 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest, started…
- Eaton Fire survivors respond to Edison plan: ‘Fix what you broke’ News Eaton Fire survivor Zaire Calvin, at podium, speaks to attendees of Thursday’s press conference held by the Eaton Fire Survivors Network at The Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena in response to Edison’s draft compensation plan on Oct. 9, 2025. (Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer) A group representing more than 8,000 Eaton…
- Regulators know PG&E, Edison are slow to hook up solar. Why are there no penalties? News By Malena Carollo, CalMatters The state’s two largest utilities routinely drag their feet connecting solar panels to the electric grid, missing state-mandated deadlines as much as 73% of the time, according to a complaint filed to regulators by solar advocates. The complaint filed by a solar energy advocacy group urges…
- Regulators know PG&E, Edison are slow to hook up solar. Why are there no penalties? News By Malena Carollo, CalMatters The state’s two largest utilities routinely drag their feet connecting solar panels to the electric grid, missing state-mandated deadlines as much as 73% of the time, according to a complaint filed to regulators by solar advocates. The complaint filed by a solar energy advocacy group urges…
- George Clooney: ‘We’re going to get through it, but a lot of damage is going to be done’ Entertainment George Clooney covers the latest issue of Esquire, all to promote his latest movie, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly. Clooney plays a movie star who wonders if he really showed up for the people in his life. I’ve seen some horrible reviews of the film, but Clooney has enough money and…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)