A lawsuit filed by local landowners claims negligence by Boeing and Southern California Edison is partly to blame for a wildfire that charred almost 100,000 acres of land in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in California.
The complaint against the airplane manufacturer and the electric power company was filed Feb. 5 in California Superior Court for Los Angeles County. The group of 100 landowners and renters affected by the Woolsey Fire are represented by several “wildfire attorneys” and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to a law firm news release.
The litigation claims a malfunction by one of SCE’s overhead power lines or a substation, located inside the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), triggered the fire Nov. 8. The SSFL is a 2,800-acre property for which Boeing is a primary owner.
Boeing, NASA, and the Energy Department are responsible for cleanup of the site, which was used for decades of research on nuclear power and the space program. California officials have said the blaze did not cause any spread of radioactive contamination from DOE structures at Santa Susana. The fire damaged portions of the SSFL stormwater collection and treatment systems. A state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) investigation between Nov. 8 and Nov. 30 found the site’s facilities that once handled radioactive materials were not affected by the fire.
The fire was able to quickly spread in part because of Boeing’s poor firefighting services inside the SSFL property, according to the suit. Boeing is supposed to have private firefighters in place at Santa Susana, but first responders to the blaze had a hard time finding any, the plaintiffs said.
Boeing disagrees.
“Security and fire personnel stationed at Santa Susana immediately responded when the fire was first reported and also promptly notified firefighting agencies,” Boeing spokeswoman C.J. Nothum said in a statement. “Upon arrival, the county and municipal fire jurisdictions established incident command over the firefighting activities. Cal Fire is conducting an investigation into the origins of the fire and Boeing is cooperating.
The litigation also claims SCE failed to temporarily shut down certain parts of its power grid although the California Public Utilities Commission had already approved such a move due to the fire risk prior to Nov. 8. That precaution might have prevented the fire, the suit suggests. The National Weather Service had already declared a “Red Flag” warning due to unusually dry and windy conditions.
The lawsuit says the operation of electric wires and facilities is an inherently dangerous job and SCE and corporate parent Edison International should have exercised more care. In addition to providing electric services to Ventura and Los Angeles counties, SCE is the majority owner in the retired San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Diego County.
Southern California Edison, which has more than a third of its service area in high fire risk areas, recently filed its first wildfire mitigation plan with the state. The plan, required by state Senate Bill 901, includes new design and construction standards for electric infrastructure, aggressive tree trimming, and other measures.
Three deaths and the destruction of 1,500 buildings have been attributed to the fire, before it was fully extinguished on Nov. 21. The fire spread rapidly because of the Santa Anna winds, according to the suit.
The plaintiffs, whose names are redacted in a copy of the complaint posted online by their attorneys, are seeking an unspecified amount of punitive and exemplary damages. The damages are sought for losses such as property damage, lost wages, evacuation costs, and medical expenses. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial.
