126 families sue utility over fires
A hundred and twenty-six families have joined to sue San Diego Gas & Electric Co. over October’s devastating wildfires.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in San Diego County Superior Court, says the utility was negligent in allowing its power lines to spark the Witch, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires that burned 200,000 acres. Flames killed two people and destroyed more than 1,200 homes.
The suit seeks unspecified damages, but an attorney for the plaintiffs says the families’ losses could reach $50 million.
The suit says the utility could have kept its power lines far enough apart to prevent sparking.
Utility spokeswoman Stephanie Donovan said she could not comment on specifics of the lawsuit. But she said there was quite a difference between the ignition source and being liable.
The company serves 3.4 million customers in San Diego and southern Orange counties.
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