Topline:
Orange County filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging improper equipment management and inadequate maintenance of vegetation surrounding power lines resulted in the 2020 Silverado Fire and the 2022 Coastal Fire. The Silverado Fire lawsuit also blames T-Mobile.
Damages: The Silverado Fire raged for 12 days, burning over 12,400 acres affecting around 90,000 residents in Irvine, Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch and the unincorporated areas of South OC. Fueled by gusty Santa Ana winds, the lawsuit alleges the fire originated when “T-Mobile’s broken lashing wire contacted an SCE overhead primary conductor causing a ground fire that spread throughout the area causing property damage, including damage to the County’s property.”
The Coastal Fire lawsuit alleges that an electrical failure resulted in damage to 200 acres, damaging 20 homes and affecting around 900 people in the Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel areas. The fire was fueled by vegetation that the utility agency failed to clear away, according to the lawsuit.
The county did not name a price for the damages, leaving it to be determined at trial.
“These lawsuits seek to recover taxpayer dollars, spent by the county to protect the public, from those responsible for the damages,'' Orange County Board of Supervisors Chair Don Wagner said in a statement.
SCE’s response: “Our thoughts are with the communities who were impacted by the Silverado and Coastal Fires. SouthernCalifornia Edison cooperated with Orange County Fire Authority in their investigations. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment outside of the legal process on the specifics of ongoing legal action,” a SCE spokesperson said. T-Mobile did not immediately respond to a request for comment.