Southern California Edison sued by DoJ for $77M in damages over two wildfires

The US Department of Justice has filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison, accusing the utility company of sparking two wildfires, Eaton and Fairview. Edison International's stock closed -1.2% on Thursday following the news. The DoJ is seeking $77M in damages.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison (SCE), alleging that the utility company's negligence contributed to the sparking of the Eaton and Fairview wildfires. The lawsuits, filed on September 4, 2025, seek damages totaling $77 million, including $40 million for the Eaton Fire and $37 million for the Fairview Fire [1][2][3].

The Eaton Fire, which occurred on January 7, 2025, in the Angeles National Forest, burned nearly 8,000 acres, destroyed more than 10,000 buildings, and resulted in 19 deaths. The fire was caused by faulty power equipment owned and operated by SCE [1]. The second lawsuit, regarding the Fairview Fire, alleges that a sagging SCE power line sparked the fire in September 2022, burning nearly 14,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest [2].

The lawsuits allege that SCE failed to maintain its power lines and equipment, despite knowing that high winds could spark fires. The Department of Justice is seeking damages to cover federal firefighting and environmental recovery costs [1][2].

Following the announcement, Edison International's stock closed -1.2% on Thursday, reflecting market concerns about the potential financial impact of the lawsuits [2].

References:
[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/4/us-files-lawsuit-against-california-utility-over-los-angeles-wildfires
[2] https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/04/us/sce-lawsuit-eaton-fairview-wildfires
[3] https://www.ainvest.com/news/sues-southern-california-edison-40m-wildfire-costs-2509/