Southern California Edison (SCE), the primary electricity supply company in the region, is facing another lawsuit from families affected by the Fairview Fire last month in Riverside County, alleging the utility’s “negligence” sparked the fire.
The blaze—which burned over 28,000 acres—broke out Sept. 5 in Hemet during a severe heatwave, killing two and forcing thousands to evacuate. Firefighters fought the blaze for 44 days and the cause is still under investigation, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as Cal Fire.
The new lawsuit, filed Oct. 14 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that “Edison negligently, recklessly and willfully failed to maintain an appropriate clearance area between the electrical equipment in its utility infrastructure and surrounding vegetation.”…