The U.S. government has filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Southern California Edison of negligence in relation to the Bobcat Fire, one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles County. The lawsuit claims that the company and its tree maintenance contractor, Utility Tree Service, failed to properly maintain trees that came in contact with power lines, resulting in the 2020 blaze.
According to the complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, the negligence of Southern California Edison and Utility Tree Service caused damages to the government during the fire, which burned over 114,000 acres, with almost 100,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest.
Reggie Kumar, a spokesperson for SoCal Edison, stated that the company cannot discuss pending litigation but expressed sympathy for those affected by the Bobcat Fire. The company is currently reviewing the legal action taken by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The complaint reveals that the U.S. Forest Service incurred fire suppression costs exceeding $56 million and suffered damages to property and natural resources totaling over $65 million.
According to the lawsuit, “Forest Service investigators determined that the Bobcat Fire ignited due to a tree in contact with power lines (conductors) owned and operated by SCE and maintained by SCE and UTS. The contact resulted in the ignition of vegetation on a branch, which then fell to the ground and spread.”
The Bobcat Fire began on September 6, 2020, and resulted in the destruction of 171 structures, 178 vehicles, and damage to 47 structures. It also caused widespread evacuations and took weeks to extinguish.
Even after almost three years, over 100 miles of trails and several campgrounds remain closed to the public as a result of the fire.
In 2021, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services approved over $50,000 in reimbursements to cover damages caused by the fire in Arcadia and Monrovia. The funds were allocated for the construction of a parking lot at the entrance of Canyon Park in Monrovia and the removal of vegetative debris from Wilderness Park in Arcadia.
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