DA weighs homicide charges against Edison over Eaton Fire
After L.A. County Fire blamed SCE for the 19 deaths in Altadena, criminal charges could threaten the utility's access to the state wildfire fund.
By Hans Laetz
Southern California Edison may be in deep trouble.
Last week, the LA County Fire Department officially blamed the power company for the disastrous Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings in Altadena. Share prices for the parent company, Edison International, have tumbled 15%.
Today, the Los Angeles Business Journal reports there is one more big shoe to drop. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has an open homicide case working to determine if Southern California Edison should face criminal charges over negligent wildfire prevention efforts.
SCE escaped being charged with negligent homicide for the 2018 Woolsey Fire, where its equipment caused a fire that killed 3 people in Malibu and 9 people in other locations.
If Edison is found to have acted with criminal negligence in Altadena, where 19 people were killed, it would have enormous consequences.
One of the provisions in the $21 billion state Wildfire Fund is that SCE can only tap into that fund — to pay fire victims — if the state finds it acted in a prudent manner. A company facing criminal negligence charges in Los Angeles can hardly be found to have behaved in a prudent manner.
Edison president Pedro Pizarro says that no matter how frequently the brush is cleared, it's not possible to bring the wildfire risk to zero.
The District Attorney's office has given no comment on its investigation, and whether it will file homicide charges against Edison and its executives this time.
This article is based on reporting by the Los Angeles Business Journal.