Power Lines

Power lines remain above ground in fire-prone areas, making it only a matter of time before another fire is sparked by electrical infrastructure.

Above-ground power lines are a known ignition source and have caused some of California’s most devastating wildfires, none more infamous than the 2018 Camp Fire, which obliterated Paradise and killed 85 people. Across the state, utility companies and municipalities are taking steps to underground this dangerous infrastructure. But Los Angeles continues to stall, even as the death toll and destruction rise.

This inaction is no longer just frustrating, it’s deadly.

In Los Angeles County alone, above-ground power lines have sparked multiple catastrophic fires in recent years:

• The 2018 Woolsey Fire, caused by Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment, destroyed over 1,600 structures and killed three people.
• The 2025 Eaton Fire, one of the most destructive in county history, destroyed over 9,000 structures and killed 18. Lawsuits allege SCE failed to de-energize lines despite red flag warnings.
• The 2025 Palisades Fire, reportedly ignited by energized municipal lines owned by LADWP, killed 12 and damaged or destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings.

These tragedies were preventable. We have the technology. We know the risks. Undergrounding power lines in high fire-risk zones is a proven, long-term solution, one that saves lives, protects communities, and reduces the astronomical costs of recovery, firefighting, and rebuilding.

Yet Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power continue to operate miles of exposed, aging power lines in some of the most fire-prone areas in the country, with no meaningful timeline to replace them.

We demand better.

It’s time for:

• A legally binding, publicly accountable plan to underground all remaining overhead lines in Los Angeles County.
• Immediate prioritization of high-risk areas identified by Cal Fire and the CPUC.
• A moratorium on any new or upgraded overhead infrastructure in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
• State and local oversight to ensure transparency, budget integrity, and community input throughout the process.

Enough with the corporate negligence and government delay. The cost of doing nothing is measured in lives lost, homes destroyed, and futures erased.

Undergrounding is not optional. It’s urgent, it’s just, and it’s overdue.