A group of California residents have filed a Woolsey fire lawsuit against Southern California Edison.

The plaintiffs accuse SoCal Edison of failing to take appropriate preventive measures after a disturbance was reported at a company substation, two minutes before the fire was first reported. They further allege that by later shutting off power, the company severely impaired firefighter’s ability to get the blaze under control.

The plaintiffs in the case say they are property owners, renters, business owners and individuals or other legal entities that suffered harm and damages by the Woolsey fire. They say they have lost real and personal property, cherished heirlooms and incurred a number of unexpected expenses, including alternative living expenses, evacuation expenses, personal injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and, in many cases, loss of business income.

The Woolsey fire erupted on Nov. 8, 2018 and destroyed over 98,000 acres of land in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. During the days leading up to the fire, hot and windy weather conditions in the drought-stricken area were placed under Red Flag Warnings by the National Weather Service because of potentially dangerous fire-prone conditions.

The National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings to inform fire management on federal lands that weather conditions are not favorable to conduct prescribed burns and that wildfires may grow particularly quickly and dangerously out of control.

SoCal Edison gave the California Public Utility Commission a preliminary report on Nov. 12, 2018 that said that SoCal Edison’s substation had experienced a disturbance two minutes before the fire was reported. The Woolsey fire purportedly began in the area of the SoCal Edison substation.

SoCal Edison allegedly shut down power to the area not because of the Red Flag warning, but because the fire had already begun.

According to the Woolsey fire lawsuit, “SCE’s decision to eventually turn off the power only exacerbated the problem for residents and firefighters. Once the electricity was off, residents and firefighters could not access enough water with the right pressure to fight the fire.”

The plaintiffs report their damages include emotional distress, annoyance, inconvenience, disturbance, mental anguish and the loss of quiet enjoyment of their own property.

Allegations of Woolsey Fire Lawsuit

The Woolsey fire lawsuit alleges SoCal Edison had the chance to prevent the fire if the company had chosen to turn off the electricity upon notice of the Red Flag Warning. In addition, the company is accused of neglecting to control vegetation growth near the power lines and other electrical equipment.

According to the Woolsey fire lawsuit, “SCE has been repeatedly fined, cited, sued and otherwise deemed liable for causing a number of fires in the region including California’s historic Thomas Fire earlier this year which burned 281,000 acres and caused deadly mudslides in the Montecito area.”

The Woolsey fire lawsuit was filed before the fire was fully contained in order to help ensure evidence from the investigation was preserved.

According to the state of California, the Woolsey fire resulted in three firefighters suffering injuries and three civilians losing their lives. At least 1,500 structures were destroyed and 341 incurred damage as of Nov. 21, which is the date the fire was deemed 100 percent contained.

Total estimates of insured losses blamed on the Woolsey fire vary from $3 billion to $13 billion.

The Woolsey Fire Lawsuit is Robin Perkins et al. v. Southern California Edison et al.,Case No. 18STCV05313 in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.