A $360 million settlement of lawsuits in the Thomas and Woolsey fires was announced Wednesday between Southern California Edison and public entities affected by the disasters.
In the Thomas Fire case, the settlement is $150 million and in the Woolsey suits, that figure is $210 million, said John Fiske, an attorney with the Baron & Budd law firm representing some of the 23 public entities.
The Thomas Fire settlement also includes damages for the Jan. 9, 2018, Montecito mudslides that, like the fires, destroyed homes and claimed lives.
It’s the first resolution in the lawsuits stemming from the devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfires, Fiske said.
“It’s the most comprehensive public entity wildfire resolution in California history because it includes so many entities in 26 different lawsuits,” Fiske said.
Edison issued a statement Wednesday afternoon about the settlement.
“We are pleased to reach agreements to resolve the claims brought by local government entities related to the 2017 and 2018 events,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, the parent company of SCE. “We look forward to engaging with other parties who have a similar interest in good faith settlement efforts. We also will continue to make substantial investments in our system and enhance our operational practices to reduce the risk of wildfires in our service area and safely provide power to homes and businesses.”
The settlement money will also be going to the federal and state agencies that came in to help these entities in the recovery
Hundreds of individuals, businesses, insurance companies and public entities sued Edison over the fires and mudslides. They alleged that, among other things, Edison’s negligence in maintaining its equipment caused the Thomas and Woolsey fires.
The plaintiffs in the Montecito mudslides cases contend the deadly disaster would likely not have happened if the Thomas Fire hadn’t stripped vegetation from the hillsides above the community, leaving nothing to hold mud and debris in place during a violent storm.
Edison has previously said its equipment was likely associated with the start of these fires. However, there were two ignition points to the Thomas Fire.
While a criminal probe into the Woolsey Fire has delayed the public release of a report on the cause, Edison said recently that barring any new evidence it appears its equipment was involved.
An redacted report with the Woolsey Fire’s cause was given to attorneys involved in the litigation.
The 23 public entities in the settlement include counties, cities, park districts, water districts and fire districts. The firms Baron & Budd and Dixon, Diab and Chambers represent these plaintiffs.
“Local government have suffered after several years of devastating wildfires. This money will replenish taxpayer resources to rebuild communities,” said Baron & Budd Shareholder Scott Summy in a news release.
The settlement was reached after days of mediation among the parties. It is not finalized yet but those last details will be hashed over the next few weeks, Fiske said.
The settlement doesn’t affect the wrongful death, individual private plaintiffs.
A hearing was scheduled Wednesday in the Thomas Fire suits where the settlement will be announced, Fiske said.
The judges in the Woolsey and Thomas suits do not have to sign off on it, Fiske said.
These are the public entity plaintiffs in the Thomas Fire:
» Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District
» City of Santa Barbara
» Ventura County, Ventura County Fire Protection District, Ventura County Watershed Protection District
» Montecito Water District
» City of San Ventura
» Montecito Fire Protection District
» Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District
These are the public entity plaintiffs in the Woolsey Fire:
» Ventura County, Ventura County Fire Protection District, Ventura County Watershed Protection District
» LA County, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles
» City of Malibu
» City of Agoura Hills
» City of Westlake Village
» City of Calabasas
» City of Hidden Hills
» City of Thousand Oaks
» Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency
» Conejo Recreation and Park District
» Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District
[Editor’s note: The City of Santa Barbara received $6,771,882 as part of the settlement, which will help cover losses related to public services, Mayor Cathy Murillo said in a statement sent to Noozhawk Wednesday. The Montecito Water District received about $8 million in the settlement, which will help repair infrastructure that was damaged in the Thomas Fire and debris flows, board president Floyd Wicks said in a statement. “This is an important step by SCE to help our community continue its recovery from these devastating tragedies,” he said.]
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