The County of Orange has filed a pair of lawsuits against Southern California Edison accusing the utility company of causing two destructive wildfires — the 2020 Silverado Fire and the 2022 Coastal Fire — and seeking reimbursement for the public funds used to battle the blazes.
The lawsuits — which also put partial blame for the Silverado Fire on T-Mobile USA — alleges that faulty equipment resulting from negligent upkeep in the midst of dangerous but foreseeable warm and windy conditions led to the two wildfires, according to the civil complaints filed Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court.
The Silverado Fire ignited at Santiago Canyon Road and Silverado Canyon Road and burned 12,466-acres, damaging 16 structures and seriously injuring two Orange County Fire Authority firefighters before it was brought under control after 12 days. The Coastal Fire swept out of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park before blackening 200-acres and destroying 20 homes over a six-day period.
“We demand that the utilities responsible for the destruction of county assets, increased expenses, reduced revenues, and environmental damages, reimburse the County,” Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who represents the Fifth District impacted by the Coastal Fire, said in a statement. “In 2022, the California State Auditor found that the utilities are not doing enough to reduce wildfire threats throughout the State of California. We have a duty to protect our taxpayers and County assets.”
Citing the ongoing lawsuits, Southern California Edison officials declined to comment on the specific allegations. T-Mobile officials did not respond to a request for comment.
“Our thoughts are with the communities who were impacted by the Silverado and Coastal Fires,” SCE Spokesperson Diane Castro said. “Southern California Edison cooperated with Orange County Fire Authority in their investigations. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment outside of the legal process…
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