SoCal Edison pays $2.8m to settle wildfire lawsuit
SoCal Edison pays $2.8m to settle wildfire lawsuit
11 February 2010
published by www.mercurynews.com
USA — ROSEMEAD, Calif.Southern California Edison has paid $2.8 million to settle a government claim that it caused a 2002 wildfire that destroyed four square miles of the Inyo National Forest.
The U.S. attorney’s office announced Thursday that the utility settled a lawsuit claiming it failed to replace broken equipment on a power pole or trim trees that had grown into power lines.
The Forest Service determined that sparks from a 12,000-volt power distribution line ignited the blaze about 15 miles north of Bishop in the Sierra Nevada.
Edison didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing in the settlement, which was finalized on Jan. 26 in Sacramento.
In a statement, the Rosemead-based utility says it maintains its equipment to the highest industry standards.
