Washington Post report blames California utility SCE for 2022 fire

Robert Besser
20 Nov 2023, 08:14 GMT+10

Washington Post reported that California authorities have determined that a major utility company, Southern California Edison, is responsible for a 2022 wildfire that killed two people
The newspaper said that on September 5, 2022, a power line managed by SCE, a subsidiary of Edison International, had sagged and hit a communications line below it, causing sparks that ignited nearby vegetation
The resulting fire burned more than 28,000 acres in Riverside County near the town of Hemet, some 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles

ROSEMEAD, California: This week, the Washington Post reported that California authorities have determined that a major utility company, Southern California Edison (SCE), is responsible for a 2022 wildfire that killed two people.

Citing an unreleased California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (Cal Fire) document, the newspaper said that on September 5, 2022, a power line managed by SCE, a subsidiary of Edison International, had sagged and hit a communications line below it, causing sparks that ignited nearby vegetation.

The resulting fire burned more than 28,000 acres (11,300 hectares) in Riverside County near the town of Hemet, some 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Los Angeles.

The fire killed two and injured one person.

In response, SCE said it was reviewing the Cal Fire document and stressed that it cooperated with state authorities during their investigation.

SCE spokeswoman Diane Castro said, "Our hearts are with the community and the people who suffered losses in the Fairview Fire."

Power companies are often blamed for causing wildfires by not shutting down transmission grids during high winds, which can knock down electrified lines and ignite vegetation.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Central Asia Times.

More Information

null in null

International

Section

U.S. backs Israel's restart of earth-shattering war in Gaza

While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli coflict ...

12 crew members reported missing as Cargo ship sinks off Greek island

LESBOS, Greece: Greek authorities said a cargo ship sank off the island of Lesbos over the weekend during a storm, ...

Bird flu forces culling of 1.35 million chickens on Ohio egg farm

COLUMBUS, Ohio: To stop the spread of bird flu, more than 1.3 million chickens will be killed on Ohio's Union ...

Israel accused of targeting reporters and their families

In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...

Candidate wins election in Louisiana by 1 vote where 43,000 voted

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: In a Louisiana election where more than 43,000 people cast their ballots, a candidate for parish sheriff ...

CSX train derails in Kentucky, spills molten sulfur causing a fire

LIVINGSTON, Kentucky: This week, railroad operator CSX said a train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur ...

Asia

Section