Southern California Edison sued by US government over 2020 wildfire ⋆ cowboy Ron News Information

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Southern California Edison sued by US government over 2020 wildfire

Robert Besser
05 Sep 2023, 08:09 GMT+10

This week, the U.S. government sued SCE for negligence that caused the 2020 Bobcat Fire that began in 2020 and burned some 180 square miles in Los Angeles County
The government said the fire started when a poorly maintained tree hit power lines, igniting leaves on a branch that dropped to the ground and spread the fire
The complaint claimed that SCE, a unit of Edison International, and Utility Tree Service, a contractor also named as a defendant, knew for “months” before the fire that the tree posed a risk but took no action

LOS ANGELES, California: This week, the U.S. government sued Southern California Edison (SCE), accusing it of negligence that caused the 2020 Bobcat Fire that began on September 6, 2020, and burned some 180 square miles in Los Angeles County.

In a complaint filed in a Los Angeles federal court, the government said the fire started when a poorly maintained tree hit power lines, igniting leaves on a branch that dropped to the ground and spread the fire.

The complaint claimed that SCE, a unit of Edison International, and Utility Tree Service, a contractor also named as a defendant, knew for “months” before the fire that the tree posed a risk but took no action.

The government aims to recoup more than US$121 million.

In response to the lawsuit, SCE spokesman Reggie Kumar said, “Our thoughts remain with the people affected by the Bobcat Fire, who lost homes and vehicles and were evacuated.”

The Bobcat Fire was one of the largest in California’s record-setting 2020 wildfire season. Before being contained some two and a half months after it began, it burned more than 114,577 acres, destroying 171 structures and 178 vehicles.

The government said many campgrounds and more than 100 miles of trails remain closed to the public since the fire.