By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) -The U.S. government sued Southern California Edison to help restore National Forest System lands burned in the Saddleridge wildfire near Los Angeles in 2019.
Tuesday’s lawsuit seeks damages for fire suppression costs and rehabilitation stemming from the Edison International-owned utility’s alleged negligence, trespass by fire and violations of California public safety laws.
Southern California Edison spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas said in a statement the utility is reviewing the complaint and will respond through the legal process. The utility also expressed sympathy for fire victims.
The Department of Justice said the Saddleridge Fire ignited at the base of a transmission tower near Sylmar, California, during high winds, after a power line attached to a nearby tower fell onto a steel arm and caused an electrical fault.
According to the complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, the October 10, 2019 fire burned about 800 acres (324 hectares) within Angeles National Forest, in addition to damaging neighboring communities and causing one death.
The Saddleridge Fire burned 8,799 acres (3,561 hectares) overall, Cal Fire said.
Southern California Edison “knew about the potential danger posed by high winds,” and failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines and equipment, the government said.
The lawsuit came five weeks after the government sued Southern California Edison, blaming its equipment for sparking the Eaton Fire in January and Fairview Fire in September 2022.
January’s wildfires in Southern California, including the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire, killed 31 people and destroyed or damaged more than 16,000 structures.
The case is U.S. v. Southern California Edison Co et al., U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 25-09547.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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