Orange County sues Edison, T-Mobile over wildfires

Orange County has filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison with one also naming T-Mobile alleging negligence in the Silverado Fire of 2020 and the Coastal Fire from last year.

The lawsuit alleges an “electrical failure” on a utility pole sparked “an arc that ignited susceptible ground vegetation and resulting in the Coastal Fire,” which broke out about 2:41 p.m. May 11, 2022, near Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Laguna Niguel next to the Orange County Wastewater Authority Coastal Treatment Plant at 28303 Alicia Parkway and burned for six days.

The lawsuit further alleges the “Coastal Fire was caused by (Southern California Edison’s) negligence in failing to maintain its overhead electrical facilities in a safe manner; failing to identify, inspect, repair and/or replace various electrical equipment (on a utility pole) which were at risk of failing.”

The county claims the utility also failed to clear away vegetation that fueled the blaze. The utility was also aware that electrical equipment caused the 2017 Thomas Fire, the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the 2019 Easy Fire.

The Coastal Fire scorched about 200 acres, destroyed 20 homes and damaged another 11 structures, according to the lawsuit. About 900 residents had to be evacuated from their homes.

“These lawsuits seek to recover taxpayer dollars, spent by the county to protect the public, from those responsible for the damages,” Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Wagner said in a statement.

Said Edison spokeswoman Diane Castro: “Our thoughts are with the communities who were impacted by the Silverado and Coastal Fires. 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 on the specifics of ongoing legal action.”

The Silverado Fire broke out about 6:45 p.m. Oct. 26, 2020, at Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads. The blaze blackened about 12,466 acres over a dozen days while destroying multiple structures and leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents as well as the closing of numerous schools, according to the lawsuit.

Edison reported to the California Public Utilities Commission that a “lashing wire … attached to an underbuilt telecommunication line” may have made contact with an Edison “overhead primary conduct,” which could have sparked the blaze, the county claimed in the lawsuit.

The lashing wire supposedly belonged to T-Mobile, according to the lawsuit.

T-Mobile officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuits filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

“We demand that the utilities responsible for the destruction of county of county assets, increased expenses, reduced revenues, and environmental damages, reimburse the county,” said Supervisor Katrina Foley, whose district includes Laguna Niguel. “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.”

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