SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Southern California county has filed lawsuits alleging a major power company's negligence caused two wildfires that collectively burned thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
The county said in the lawsuit that it believes that the Coastal Fire — which burned 200 acres , destroyed 20 homes and prompted more than 900 people to evacuate in May 2022 — was caused by an electrical failure on a utility pole that supported a distribution line. The county alleged the incident occurred because Southern California Edison, known as SCE, failed to maintain its facilities in a safe manner in an area of significant risk of wildfire.
In a separate lawsuit, the county said the Silverado Fire, which charred more than 12,000 acres in October 2020, may have been sparked when a telecommunications wire had contact with an electric conductor. The county also named T-Mobile in the suit over the Silverado Fire, which prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and caused school closures.
Last year, the utility told state regulators unspecified electrical “circuit activity” happened at about the time that the Coastal Fire wildfire erupted. The company also previously reported the possible contact with the “lashing wire” in the Silverado Fire.The lawsuits, which were filed on Monday, were first reported late Tuesday by the Orange County Register.