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Justice Department Sues Southern California Edison Over Eaton, Fairview Fires, Seeks $77 Million

Prosecutors say the filings seek accountability without passing costs to customers.

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/ File Photo
Image
The wind whips embers as a firefighter battles the fire in the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Wilson, during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 9, 2025.
FILE - A home burns in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File)

Overview

  • The U.S. filed two civil complaints in Los Angeles federal court alleging SCE’s negligence caused the 2025 Eaton and 2022 Fairview fires that killed 21 people and burned National Forest System lands.
  • Prosecutors seek more than $40 million for Eaton and about $37 million for Fairview to reimburse U.S. Forest Service suppression and land-rehabilitation costs.
  • The suits cite SCE’s disclosure of a transmission fault near the Eaton origin and a July SEC filing stating it was not aware of another ignition source, with official cause determinations still pending.
  • For Fairview, the government alleges a sagging SCE line contacted a Frontier messenger cable; state regulators have previously cited violations tied to that blaze and fined SCE $2.2 million.
  • The Justice Department says it will seek terms to prevent shifting these costs to ratepayers as separate lawsuits by Los Angeles County, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and residents continue.