LOS ANGELES (AP) – Southern California Edison Corp. has settled claims on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service related to massive wildfires that destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other structures in 2017. Federal prosecutors announced Monday that he will pay $80 million.
The U.S. attorney’s office announced in a statement that the utility company agreed to a settlement Friday without admitting any wrongdoing or negligence in connection with the Thomas Fire.
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An investigation determined that utility equipment was the cause of two fires in the canyon on December 4, 2017. The Thomas Fire, which has burned 439 square miles (1,137 square kilometers) in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, is the seventh largest fire in California history. to state fire officials.
Edison said it would release a statement regarding the settlement later Monday.
Federal prosecutors sued the utility company in 2020 to recover the costs of fighting the fire and the extensive damage caused to public lands in the Los Padres National Forest. The lawsuit alleges that Edison power lines and transformers ignited dry brush during high winds.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in a statement that the agreement “provides significant compensation to taxpayers.”
This is the latest settlement by Edison over the Thomas Fire. The company also settled claims related to the 2018 Woolsey Fire. In 2021, Edison estimated total expected losses from both fires to be more than $4.5 billion.
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California has seen an increase in destructive wildfires in recent years, exacerbated by climate change and drought. Utility equipment has been blamed for the state’s worst fire.
In 2022, former Pacific Gas & Electric executives and directors paid $117 million to settle lawsuits related to devastating Northern California wildfires caused by the utility’s equipment in 2017 and 2018. We agreed to pay $.
