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Robertson & Associates was representing people affected by the Saddleridge Fire
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The Saddleridge Fire (2019) was a California wildfire in Los Angeles County, with 8,799 acres, 19 structures destroyed, 1 death on the public record. Its cause is recorded as undetermined. Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Edison International Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC. Robertson & Associates was representing people affected by this fire as of June 15, 2026.
The Saddleridge Fire burned 8,799 acres along the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley in October 2019. It began beneath a Southern California Edison transmission tower in Sylmar on a night of strong Santa Ana winds, and within hours about 100,000 people were under evacuation orders.
This is one of the few fires in this database where the official cause is recorded as undetermined and the question of responsibility is still being fought in court. The Los Angeles Fire Department did not name a heat source. It did note that it found no competent ignition source in the origin area other than SCE's transmission lines. State regulatory staff listed alleged safety violations by SCE that they wrote could, under certain circumstances, have led to an ignition. SCE denies causing the fire.
Insurers and homeowners sued SCE in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Trial dates have been set and reset several times. Edison's most recent quarterly report, filed July 30, 2026, says an inverse condemnation bench trial has been set for October 2026. Whether that trial has begun is not yet on the public record.
In October 2025 the United States filed its own lawsuit against SCE in federal court, seeking firefighting costs and damages for about 800 acres of the Angeles National Forest. No settlement in either case has been reported.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2019-10-10 |
| Containment date | 2019-10-31 |
| Region / counties | Los Angeles |
| Acreage | 8,799 |
| Structures destroyed | 19 |
| Structures damaged | 88 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Cause status | undetermined |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
The official cause is undetermined. Southern California Edison told the Securities and Exchange Commission that in August 2023 it received a signed investigation report from the Los Angeles Fire Department stating that the cause of ignition was unintentional and that the form of heat, the item first ignited and the material first ignited were all undetermined. The same report, as described by Edison, noted that no competent ignition source other than SCE's transmission lines was found in the specific origin area. Staff of the California Public Utilities Commission separately issued an undated report listing alleged violations of the Commission's General Orders by SCE and noting that those violations, under certain circumstances, could have led to a fire ignition. The Commission did not fine SCE, according to the Los Angeles Times. SCE denies that its equipment caused the fire.
What happened
The Saddleridge Fire, which agencies write as the Saddle Ridge Fire, started at 9:02 PM on October 10, 2019 near Saddle Ridge Road in Sylmar and was pushed west by Santa Ana winds through the foothills above Granada Hills and Porter Ranch. Mandatory evacuations covered roughly 23,000 homes, an area of about 100,000 residents. The Los Angeles Fire Department lifted all evacuations on October 12. Its final update listed 8,799 acres, 19 structures destroyed and 88 damaged. One person died and eight firefighters were injured. CAL FIRE records the fire as contained on October 31, 2019.
Saddleridge Fire timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
The fire starts at 9:02 PM near Saddle Ridge Road in Sylmar.
Source: CAL FIRE
Mandatory evacuations cover roughly 23,000 homes and about 100,000 residents.
Source: Los Angeles Times
SCE reports to the CPUC that its facilities were impacted close in time to the start of the fire.
Source: SCE report filed with the California Public Utilities Commission
The Los Angeles Fire Department lifts all evacuations.
Source: Los Angeles Fire Department
The final unified update lists 8,799 acres, 19 structures destroyed and 88 damaged.
Source: Los Angeles Fire Department
The fire is recorded as contained.
Source: CAL FIRE
In August 2023, SCE receives the signed Los Angeles Fire Department report recording the cause as undetermined.
Source: Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
It is reported that the CPUC did not fine SCE for five violations listed by its staff, because the fire department report recorded the cause as undetermined.
Source: Los Angeles Times
The United States sues SCE in federal court over suppression costs and damage to national forest land.
Source: Reuters
Edison reports that an inverse condemnation bench trial is set for October 2026.
Source: Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
Litigation status
Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Edison International Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC.
Multiple lawsuits naming Southern California Edison as defendant were filed over the Saddleridge Fire by insurers and by homeowners and other residents, and the cases are being heard together in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Edison's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show the trial date moving: a jury trial set for May 2024, then no trial scheduled as of early 2025, then an inverse condemnation bench trial set for March 2026, and, in the annual report for 2025 and again in the report for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, an inverse condemnation bench trial set for October 2026. Inverse condemnation is the doctrine under which a utility can be held liable for property damage without proof of negligence. Edison also states that SCE has accrued charges for potential losses relating to the fire, without giving an amount. Separately, on October 7, 2025 the United States sued SCE in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, case 2:25-cv-09547, alleging negligence, trespass by fire and violations of California public safety laws, and seeking fire suppression costs and rehabilitation of about 800 acres of the Angeles National Forest. No settlement and no trial result in either case has been reported as of the status date.
Allegations in a complaint are claims, not findings, and a trial setting is not a trial result. This entry reports only what the public record shows as of the status date, and nothing here describes any individual situation.
Court & regulatory record
- Incident investigation report, Saddle Ridge Fire (redacted, undated) , California Public Utilities Commission, Safety and Enforcement Division (Case E20191011-01)
- SCE Electric Safety Incident Report (October 11, 2019) , Filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (Case 191011-9376)
- Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026: 2019 Saddle Ridge Fire , Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025: 2019 Saddle Ridge Fire , Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- Saddle Ridge Brush Fire incident updates , Los Angeles Fire Department
This is a reported public-record status, not advice about any individual’s legal situation. Deadlines and eligibility change over time and depend on facts specific to each person. If you have questions about yours, contact us and we will help.
Key figures on the public record
Each figure below was published by the court, agency, or company named beside it, on the date shown. These describe the case and the disaster, not any individual’s situation.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acres burned | 8,799 | CAL FIRE, October 31, 2019 |
| Structures destroyed | 19 | Los Angeles Fire Department, October 22, 2019 |
| Structures damaged | 88 | Los Angeles Fire Department, October 22, 2019 |
| Homes under mandatory evacuation | About 23,000 | Los Angeles Times, October 11, 2019 |
| National forest land burned | About 800 acres | Bloomberg Law, October 7, 2025 |
| Next trial setting | Inverse condemnation bench trial, October 2026 | Edison International Form 10-Q, July 30, 2026 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the Saddleridge Fire. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Oct 10, 2025U.S. claims Edison's equipment ignited 2019 Saddle Ridge fireLos Angeles Times
- Oct 7, 2025US sues Southern California Edison over Saddleridge wildfireReuters
- Oct 7, 2025Edison Must Pay for 2019 Saddleridge Firefighting Costs, US SaysBloomberg Law
- Oct 15, 2019Edison transmission line under scrutiny as possible cause of deadly Saddleridge fireLos Angeles Times
- Oct 14, 2019SoCal Edison Says Its Electrical Grid Was 'Impacted' at Start of Saddleridge FireNBC Los Angeles
- Oct 11, 2019Saddleridge fire: California and L.A. declare state of emergencyLos Angeles Times
Common questions about the Saddleridge Fire
What caused the Saddleridge Fire?
The official cause is undetermined. Southern California Edison told the Securities and Exchange Commission that in August 2023 it received a signed investigation report from the Los Angeles Fire Department stating that the cause of ignition was unintentional and that the form of heat, the item first ignited and the material first ignited were all undetermined. The same report, as described by Edison, noted that no competent ignition source other than SCE's transmission lines was found in the specific origin area. Staff of the California Public Utilities Commission separately issued an undated report listing alleged violations of the Commission's General Orders by SCE and noting that those violations, under certain circumstances, could have led to a fire ignition. The Commission did not fine SCE, according to the Los Angeles Times. SCE denies that its equipment caused the fire.
Is there litigation over the Saddleridge Fire?
Litigation filed. Status as of October 1, 2026, per Edison International Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC. Robertson & Associates was representing people affected by this fire as of June 15, 2026.
What areas did the Saddleridge Fire affect?
The Saddleridge Fire (Los Angeles County) affected communities including Sylmar, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch.
How large was the Saddleridge Fire?
8,799 acres, 19 structures destroyed, 1 fatality, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
When did the Saddleridge Fire start?
The Saddleridge Fire started at 9:02 PM on October 10, 2019 near Saddle Ridge Road in Sylmar, in the City of Los Angeles. CAL FIRE records it as contained on October 31, 2019, at 8,799 acres.
What caused the Saddleridge Fire?
The official cause of the 2019 Saddleridge Fire is undetermined. The Los Angeles Fire Department found the ignition unintentional and could not determine the heat source or the first item ignited, while noting that no competent ignition source other than Southern California Edison transmission lines was found in the origin area. SCE denies that its equipment caused the fire.
Is there a Saddleridge Fire lawsuit against Southern California Edison?
Yes. Insurers and homeowners sued Southern California Edison over the Saddleridge Fire in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and the United States filed a separate federal lawsuit on October 7, 2025. Edison reported on July 30, 2026 that an inverse condemnation bench trial in the state litigation was set for October 2026. No settlement has been reported.
How many homes burned in the Saddleridge Fire?
The Los Angeles Fire Department's final update on the 2019 Saddleridge Fire listed 19 structures destroyed and 88 damaged. One person died and eight firefighters were injured.
Did the CPUC fine Southern California Edison for the Saddleridge Fire?
No fine has been reported. Staff of the California Public Utilities Commission issued an undated report listing alleged violations of the Commission's General Orders by Southern California Edison related to the Saddleridge Fire, and the Los Angeles Times reported in August 2025 that the Commission did not fine or otherwise penalize the utility for them.
Sources
- Saddle Ridge Fire incident record, CAL FIRE
- Saddle Ridge Brush Fire incident updates, Los Angeles Fire Department
- Incident investigation report E20191011-01, California Public Utilities Commission, Safety and Enforcement Division
- SCE Electric Safety Incident Report 191011-9376, California Public Utilities Commission
- Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025, Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- US sues Southern California Edison over Saddleridge wildfire, Reuters
- Edison Must Pay for 2019 Saddleridge Firefighting Costs, US Says, Bloomberg Law
- Edison hid its role in 2019 Sylmar wildfire, lawsuit alleges, Los Angeles Times
- Saddleridge fire: California and L.A. declare state of emergency, Los Angeles Times
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.