Southern California Edison will pay more than $82.5 million in damages after its power lines were blamed for sparking the 2020 Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest, the Department of Justice announced Friday.
The Bobcat Fire broke out in September 2020 and scorched more than 110,000 acres and at least 170 homes, forcing residents of Sierra Madre, Monrovia and Duarte to flee while threatening the historic Mount Wilson Observatory until it was contained two months later.
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WATCH HEREThe Justice Department sued SoCal Edison in 2023, alleging that trees that were poorly managed by the power company and its tree maintenance contractor were set on fire by power lines. The settlement with the federal government is the largest wildfire cost recovery settlement reached by the Central District of California, the Justice Department said.
“This record settlement against Southern California Edison provides meaningful compensation to taxpayers for the extensive costs of fighting the Bobcat Fire and for the widespread damage to public lands,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will continue to aggressively pursue recovery for suppression costs and environmental damages from any entity that causes harm to the public’s forests and other precious national resources.”
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In addition to property damage, the Bobcat Fire significantly impacted wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, threatening fish, birds as well as federally endangered species like the mountain yellow-legged frog. And tens of miles of trails and campgrounds in the forest had to be closed for years.
The $82.5 million settlement needs to be paid by mid-July without SoCal Edison having to admit fault or wrongdoing.
“These settlements are essential in restoring our landscapes after wildfires,” said Acting U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Jason Kuiken.
Some of the funds from the settlement are expected to be used to rehabilitate burned areas, including restoring wildlife habitats.
This is the second chunk of settlement SoCal Edison made related to the Bobcat Fire. Los Angeles County also received $80 million from the power company for recovery cost recovery.
