Southern California Edison Power Lines Caused the Deadly California Thomas Fire
On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, investigators announced that the Southern California Edison (SCE) power lines caused the 2017 Thomas Fire that killed two people, including a 70-year-old woman (Virginia Pesola) and a 32-year-old firefighter (Cory Iverson), destroyed approximately 770 homes, and damaged over 200 others in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The woman died after her car crashed along an evacuation route while the other victim lost his life fighting the fire. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire, the Thomas Fire, which burned for two weeks destroying 281,893 acres, is the second the largest California wildfire in history. The largest wildfire in the state since 1932, when reliable records started to be kept, was the 2018 Ranch Fire that burned 410,203 acres, killing one fire engineer.
The findings by the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the United States Forest Service, after a 15-month investigation, indicate that the fire broke out on December 4, 2017 during high winds. The source of the fire was as a result of two power lines, owned by Southern California Edison, coming into contact with each other, causing an electrical arc that deposited hot, burning material on the ground. The common term for such a situation is known as line slap.
According to a number of witnesses, the fire ignited along Koenigstein Road, Santa Paula near a power pole, and Southern California Edison believes that its equipment caused the ignition. Between December 4, 2017 and January of 2018, when it was finally put out, the Thomas Fire had destroyed about 450 square miles of vegetation, and when rainstorm fell in Montecito on January 9, 2018, around 20 people lost their lives after the hillside came tumbling down on their homes.
In a statement released on the Wednesday afternoon by the Edison spokesperson, Steven Conroy, in response to the investigation, the company discredited the report, claiming that the matter would have been handled better in court. The statement also claims that the investigators did not preserve critical evidence like the video surveillance footage. Southern California Edison further stated that the investigators ignored evidence that would limit their responsibility for the fire.
SCE argues that the Thomas Fire was started by two different blazes and was not responsible for one of them, Anlauf Canyon. According to the company, the Anlauf Canyon started 12 minutes before its power lines slapped together and 15 minutes before the start time indicated by VCFD. Captain Stan Ziegler, a firefighter in VCFD, told the NBC News that the investigators received the report by the utility, although there was no mention of that evidence in Wednesday’s announcement.
Despite SCE being protected from bankruptcy because of the 2018 law, which passes liability on to customers, the utility faces 1.3 billion dollars in insurance claims filed by the fire victims and 400 million dollars in claims linked to the mudslides. The company said that it will work with insurers to handle the claims. The findings have also been forwarded to California’s attorney general office because the investigators believe the company should be charged with involuntary manslaughter, illegally causing a fire that caused bodily injuries, and neglecting to maintain their equipment. The lawsuit could lead to severe penalties and affect the ability of SCE to win contracts, experts say.
Joseph Liebman, the attorney representing over 500 petitioners suing the company for causing the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide, said that the announcement confirms what he and his clients already knew about SCE’s role in the disasters. He further stated that the utility should stop complaining about the climate change and take responsibility because it should have upgraded its infrastructure.
The largest utilities in California have come under fire in recent past for their role in a number of wildfires.
The Wednesday’s report by Cal Fire comes 30 days after the largest utility in California, Pacific Gas and Electric, PG&E, said that it feared the authorities would link the 2018 Camp Fire to its equipment. The Camp Fire is considered the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history due to its number of fatalities, 86. PG&E, which was found responsible for at least 18 of 21 California wildfires in 2017, filed for bankruptcy as a protective measure against millions of dollars of liability.
In 2017, San Diego Gas and Electric equipment (SDG&E) power lines caused the Witch Fire, also known as the Witch Creek Fire, which destroyed 1,265 residential structures and 587 outbuildings. Two civilian lives were also lost in the blaze. The fire led to about 2,000 lawsuits, causing at least 1.3 billion dollars (2017 USD) in insured damages alone. As of the current CAL FIRE records, the Witch Creek Fire is the ninth-largest wildfire in California history as well as the fifth-most destructive wildfire in the state. Over the years, SDG&E has put in place several precautionary measures to avoid a repeat of the disaster.
Despite its numerous efforts to upgrade its equipment, Southern California Edison was recently accused of causing the Woolsey Fire that damaged 97,000 acres of land and destroyed 1,643 structures. According to a lawsuit, the latest against the utility, submitted in Los Angeles County Superior Court by a trio of California law firms, McNicholas & McNicholas, Frantz Law Group and Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, SCE was partially responsible for causing the fire. The suit alleges that the fire started as a result of poorly maintained electrical equipment owned by Edison.
On November 14, 2018, a Ventura County resident, Michael Henthorn, filed a suit making similar claims. He owned a ranch, home, guest house and barn on his 20-acre property on Mipolomol Road. The structures, along with his vehicles and pets, were all lost in the fire. Henthorn lawsuit indicated that the SEC electrical equipment was negligently operated, repaired, and maintained, as well as paired with poor vegetation management and substandard electrical safety practices.
Cal Fire along with the California Office of Emergency Services (COES) are still conducting investigation into the cause of the Woolsey Fire. In a statement by Edison spokesperson, the company cannot respond to the two lawsuits at this time.
Southern California Edison Power Lines Caused the Deadly California Thomas Fire
On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, investigators announced that the Southern California Edison (SCE) power lines caused the 2017 Thomas Fire that killed two people, including a 70-year-old woman (Virginia Pesola) and a 32-year-old firefighter (Cory Iverson), destroyed approximately 770 homes, and damaged over 200 others in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The woman died after her car crashed along an evacuation route while the other victim lost his life fighting the fire. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Cal Fire, the Thomas Fire, which burned for two weeks destroying 281,893 acres, is the second the largest California wildfire in history. The largest wildfire in the state since 1932, when reliable records started to be kept, was the 2018 Ranch Fire that burned 410,203 acres, killing one fire engineer.
The findings by the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the United States Forest Service, after a 15-month investigation, indicate that the fire broke out on December 4, 2017 during high winds. The source of the fire was as a result of two power lines, owned by Southern California Edison, coming into contact with each other, causing an electrical arc that deposited hot, burning material on the ground. The common term for such a situation is known as line slap.
According to a number of witnesses, the fire ignited along Koenigstein Road, Santa Paula near a power pole, and Southern California Edison believes that its equipment caused the ignition. Between December 4, 2017 and January of 2018, when it was finally put out, the Thomas Fire had destroyed about 450 square miles of vegetation, and when rainstorm fell in Montecito on January 9, 2018, around 20 people lost their lives after the hillside came tumbling down on their homes.
In a statement released on the Wednesday afternoon by the Edison spokesperson, Steven Conroy, in response to the investigation, the company discredited the report, claiming that the matter would have been handled better in court. The statement also claims that the investigators did not preserve critical evidence like the video surveillance footage. Southern California Edison further stated that the investigators ignored evidence that would limit their responsibility for the fire.
SCE argues that the Thomas Fire was started by two different blazes and was not responsible for one of them, Anlauf Canyon. According to the company, the Anlauf Canyon started 12 minutes before its power lines slapped together and 15 minutes before the start time indicated by VCFD. Captain Stan Ziegler, a firefighter in VCFD, told the NBC News that the investigators received the report by the utility, although there was no mention of that evidence in Wednesday’s announcement.
Despite SCE being protected from bankruptcy because of the 2018 law, which passes liability on to customers, the utility faces 1.3 billion dollars in insurance claims filed by the fire victims and 400 million dollars in claims linked to the mudslides. The company said that it will work with insurers to handle the claims. The findings have also been forwarded to California’s attorney general office because the investigators believe the company should be charged with involuntary manslaughter, illegally causing a fire that caused bodily injuries, and neglecting to maintain their equipment. The lawsuit could lead to severe penalties and affect the ability of SCE to win contracts, experts say.
Joseph Liebman, the attorney representing over 500 petitioners suing the company for causing the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslide, said that the announcement confirms what he and his clients already knew about SCE’s role in the disasters. He further stated that the utility should stop complaining about the climate change and take responsibility because it should have upgraded its infrastructure.
The largest utilities in California have come under fire in recent past for their role in a number of wildfires.
The Wednesday’s report by Cal Fire comes 30 days after the largest utility in California, Pacific Gas and Electric, PG&E, said that it feared the authorities would link the 2018 Camp Fire to its equipment. The Camp Fire is considered the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history due to its number of fatalities, 86. PG&E, which was found responsible for at least 18 of 21 California wildfires in 2017, filed for bankruptcy as a protective measure against millions of dollars of liability.
In 2017, San Diego Gas and Electric equipment (SDG&E) power lines caused the Witch Fire, also known as the Witch Creek Fire, which destroyed 1,265 residential structures and 587 outbuildings. Two civilian lives were also lost in the blaze. The fire led to about 2,000 lawsuits, causing at least 1.3 billion dollars (2017 USD) in insured damages alone. As of the current CAL FIRE records, the Witch Creek Fire is the ninth-largest wildfire in California history as well as the fifth-most destructive wildfire in the state. Over the years, SDG&E has put in place several precautionary measures to avoid a repeat of the disaster.
Despite its numerous efforts to upgrade its equipment, Southern California Edison was recently accused of causing the Woolsey Fire that damaged 97,000 acres of land and destroyed 1,643 structures. According to a lawsuit, the latest against the utility, submitted in Los Angeles County Superior Court by a trio of California law firms, McNicholas & McNicholas, Frantz Law Group and Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, SCE was partially responsible for causing the fire. The suit alleges that the fire started as a result of poorly maintained electrical equipment owned by Edison.
On November 14, 2018, a Ventura County resident, Michael Henthorn, filed a suit making similar claims. He owned a ranch, home, guest house and barn on his 20-acre property on Mipolomol Road. The structures, along with his vehicles and pets, were all lost in the fire. Henthorn lawsuit indicated that the SEC electrical equipment was negligently operated, repaired, and maintained, as well as paired with poor vegetation management and substandard electrical safety practices.
Cal Fire along with the California Office of Emergency Services (COES) are still conducting investigation into the cause of the Woolsey Fire. In a statement by Edison spokesperson, the company cannot respond to the two lawsuits at this time.
