The U.S. Department of Justice has taken aim at Southern California Edison (SCE), filing a pair of lawsuits Thursday that accuse the utility giant of negligence in two catastrophic wildfires that killed 21 people and destroyed vast swaths of Southern California. The government is seeking a combined $77 million in damages.
Eaton Fire: A Deadly Inferno
In its 14-page complaint, federal prosecutors allege that Edison’s failure to maintain its electrical infrastructure sparked the Eaton fire on Jan. 7, 2024, amid howling Santa Ana winds. The blaze ripped through Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, killing 19 people and devastating the unincorporated community of Altadena.
The DOJ is demanding more than $40 million in damages, citing negligence, trespass by fire, breach of easement, and violations of California’s health, safety, and public resources codes. The fire torched federal land, destroyed fire detection systems, service roads, campgrounds, and even threatened endangered wildlife.
