For Immediate Release
September 24, 2024
[Newport Beach, CA] – After an extensive delay, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) has finally issued its official report following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by local community members and advocates. The report, which was released on September 19, 2024, holds Southern California Edison (SCE) responsible for the devastating Coastal Fire that caused significant damage to the community, including the loss of multiple homes and severe destruction across the neighborhood.
According to the OCFA report, “ The item first ignited was vegetation, the heat source was sparks from the overhead electrical equipment, and the event that brought the two together was an unspecified electrical event that occurred causing an electrical arc and sparks causing the vegetation beneath the power lines to ignite.”
The report also states, “The video surveillance footage DECOSTA recovered showed a shower of sparks to the right of the power pole in the SOA. The power pole was later identified as pole number 1331722E.”
This confirmation of SCE’s negligence comes as a critical acknowledgment for those affected by the fire. The report highlights a clear failure by SCE to properly maintain its power lines, which contributed directly to the fire’s ignition and subsequent destruction.
“As we have maintained from day one, these people lost their homes and suffered significant damage in the neighborhood as a result of SCE’s failures to maintain its lines. The OCFA’s report confirms what we’ve long known: that this tragedy could have been avoided if proper safety measures had been taken,” said Richard Bridgford, Managing Partner at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian.
The release of the OCFA’s report is a significant step in holding SCE accountable for its role in the disaster.
For further inquiries or more information, please contact:
Richard Bridgford
(949) 831-6611
richard.bridgford@bridgfordlaw.com