OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
11:46 AM – Friday, September 5, 2025
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison (SCE), alleging the utility’s negligence led to two catastrophic wildfires, the Eaton Fire in January 2025 and the Fairview Fire in September 2022.
Combined, these fires resulted in at least 21 fatalities, destroyed thousands of structures, and scorched over 42,000 acres of National Forest System lands.
The deadly January fire was one of the most destructive in California history, killing 19 people and burning over 14,000 acres in the Los Angeles area, which included almost 8,000 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest. The January wildfires destroyed or damaged over 16,000 structures.
In February, Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Southern California Edison’s parent company, Edison International, made a statement, saying: “While we do not yet know what caused the Eaton wildfire, SCE is exploring every possibility in its investigation, including the possibility that SCE’s equipment was involved.”
The company also announced in July that it would launch a program in the fall to “quickly compensate” those impacted by the fire.
“Community members shouldn’t have to wait for the final conclusions in the Eaton Fire investigation to get the financial support they need to begin rebuilding,” Pizarro said in a statement. “Even though the details of how the Eaton Fire started are still being evaluated, SCE will offer an expedited process to pay and resolve claims fairly and promptly.”
However, in the lawsuit filed on Thursday, the DOJ argues that the fire was sparked by “faulty power infrastructure owned, maintained, and operated” by SCE.
In addition, the Justice Department is suing the utility company for damages from the 2022 Fairview Fire in Riverside County. That fire resulted in the death of two people and burned over 28,000 acres of land, including nearly 14,000 acres within the San Bernardino National Forest.
California fire officials have noted that the Fairview Fire was started by a SoCal Edison power line that came in contact with a communications cable. Sparks flew and set fire to nearby vegetation.
“The lawsuits filed today allege a troubling pattern of negligence resulting in death, destruction, and tens of millions of federal taxpayer dollars spent to clean up one utility company’s mistakes,” acting U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli said in a statement on Thursday. “We hope that today’s filings are the first step in causing the beginnings of a culture change at Southern California Edison, one that will make it a responsible, conscientious company that helps — not harms — our community. Hardworking Californians should not pick up the tab for Edison’s negligence.”
“But for Edison’s negligence, these fires would not have started,” Essayli also said at a news conference. “Fire season is coming up again. We want Edison to change the way it does business.”
The DOJ is now seeking over $40 million in damages for costs inflicted on the U.S. Forest Service for fire suppression and rehabilitation from the Eaton Fire. It’s also seeking about $37 million for damages from the Fairview Fire — bringing the total to $77 million.
“The Eaton Fire was heartbreaking for so many of us who live and work in the Los Angeles area,” said SoCal Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford, in a statement, adding that “our thoughts are with the community affected by the Fairview Fire.”
“We continue our work to reduce the likelihood of our equipment starting a wildfire,” Monford continued. “SCE is committed to wildfire mitigation through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.”
He also noted that the company “will respond through the appropriate channels” to the lawsuit.
Homeowners and renters have also jointly sued SoCal Edison for the devastating natural disaster that caused them to lose their homes.
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