An announcement by Southern California Edison has introduced a third dimension to the dilemma: the risk of turning that power back on too soon.
California utilities were already in a bind, between intense criticism when they shut off power and financial peril when they don’t during high fire hazard episodes.
In a statement, Edison spokesman Ron Gales said Saturday that “while we have no information about the cause of the fire,” the line on South Mountain was “near the area of the reported location of the fire.”The announcement adds to the troubles the utility faces over the role its equipment may have played in several recent Southern California fires.
It was already facing the possibility of major liability for the Thomas fire in 2017, which burned more than 280,000 acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and was followed by deadly mudslides in Montecito.Then last month Edison faced new criticism over the Saddleridge fire, which scorched 8,000 acres and destroyed 17 structures in Sylmar, after it disclosed to regulators that its equipment in the area was “impacted” about the time the fire began, but hasn’t offered further details.
The protocols for shutting down power are outlined in Edison’s 2019 Wildfire Management Plan. Incident management teams that include Edison meteorologists base the decision on wind speeds, humidity and temperature, fuel moisture and fuel loading.
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