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Robertson & Associates was representing people affected by the Woolsey Fire
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The Woolsey Fire (2018) was a California wildfire in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, with 96,949 acres, 1,643 structures destroyed, 3 deaths on the public record. Its cause is recorded as confirmed. 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 Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 acres from the Simi Hills to the sea at Malibu in November 2018. It destroyed 1,643 structures, forced more than 295,000 people from their homes and killed three.
Fire investigators and the California Department of Justice both concluded that Southern California Edison equipment caused it. The Attorney General's office ran a criminal investigation and closed it in August 2021 without charges, citing insufficient evidence for a prosecution.
The civil litigation has been one of the largest in the state: 656 lawsuits and 9,574 plaintiffs by Edison's own count. Local governments settled for $210 million in November 2019. Insurers settled for $2.2 billion in January 2021. Individual plaintiffs have settled case by case through a court mediation program, at amounts that are not public.
It is close to finished but not finished. Edison reported that, as of July 23, 2026, 17 lawsuits representing 28 individual plaintiffs were still pending, that a trial with the state emergency services office was set for October 2026, and that one household was set for trial on November 16, 2026.
Regulators have also decided who pays. In December 2025 the Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement under which customers cover about $1.9 billion of the roughly $5.43 billion Edison recorded for Woolsey claims and related costs, and about $3.676 billion is permanently disallowed.
Fire facts
From public records; unknown values are shown, never guessed.
| Year | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Start date | 2018-11-08 |
| Containment date | 2018-11-21 |
| Region / counties | Los Angeles, Ventura |
| Acreage | 96,949 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,643 |
| Structures damaged | 364 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Cause status | confirmed |
| Officially determined arson | No / not determined |
| Public settlement information | Published settlements: $210 million to local public entities for the Woolsey Fire (November 2019, part of a $360 million settlement that also covered the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows) and $2.2 billion to insurers (January 25, 2021). Amounts paid to individuals are not public. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |
Cause
The investigation by the Ventura County Fire Department with CAL FIRE found that Southern California Edison electrical equipment caused the Woolsey Fire. Its report became public in redacted form on October 28, 2020, after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that it was no longer confidential. The California Department of Justice stated the same conclusion on August 13, 2021: high winds caused a loose guy wire near Edison's equipment to contact energized conductors on a steel pole, and the resulting arcing caused the first ignition. Staff of the California Public Utilities Commission alleged 26 violations of Commission rules. Edison has not admitted liability in any settlement, and no court has entered a judgment on liability.
What happened
The Woolsey Fire broke out on November 8, 2018 at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site in the Simi Hills and, in Santa Ana winds, burned south across the Santa Monica Mountains to the coast at Malibu. More than 295,000 people were evacuated, according to the California Department of Justice. Three people died. CAL FIRE lists 96,949 acres and 1,643 structures destroyed; 364 more were damaged. The state utilities regulator records containment on November 21, 2018.
Woolsey Fire timeline
Each entry is dated and links to the public source it comes from.
The Woolsey Fire breaks out in the Simi Hills and burns toward Malibu.
Source: CAL FIRE
The fire is contained.
SCE agrees to pay 23 public entities $360 million, $210 million of it for the Woolsey Fire.
Source: Courthouse News Service
The fire agencies' investigation report, naming Edison equipment as the cause, becomes public in redacted form.
Source: Ventura County Star
SCE announces a $2.2 billion settlement of all insurance subrogation claims.
Source: Southern California Edison Form 8-K, filed with the SEC
The California Department of Justice closes its criminal investigation without charges.
Source: California Department of Justice
The CPUC approves a $550 million agreement resolving its safety investigations into five fires including Woolsey.
The CPUC approves a settlement allowing about $1.9 billion of Woolsey costs to be recovered from customers.
Edison reports 17 pending lawsuits representing 28 individual plaintiffs, a Cal OES trial set for October 2026 and a household trial set for November 16, 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.
Lawsuits over the Woolsey Fire were filed in the superior courts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties by individuals, insurers and public entities, and are coordinated in the Los Angeles Superior Court. They allege, among other things, negligence, inverse condemnation, personal injury, wrongful death, trespass and private nuisance. According to figures Edison gave the Public Utilities Commission, 656 lawsuits comprising 9,574 plaintiffs were filed between November 2018 and June 2024. In November 2019 Edison agreed to pay 23 public entities $360 million, of which $210 million was for the Woolsey Fire. On January 25, 2021 it announced a $2.2 billion settlement of all insurance subrogation claims. Individual plaintiffs have been settling through a mediation program. As of July 23, 2026 Edison reported 17 pending unsettled lawsuits representing 28 individual plaintiffs related to the Woolsey Fire, a damages and liability trial with the state emergency services office set for October 2026, and one household set for trial on November 16, 2026. Edison states that it has not admitted wrongdoing or liability in any settlement. No criminal charges were filed: the California Department of Justice closed its criminal investigation on August 13, 2021. On the regulatory side, the Commission approved a $550 million agreement on December 16, 2021 resolving its safety investigations into the Woolsey and Thomas fires and three other 2017 fires, and on December 18, 2025 it approved Decision 25-12-023 on Woolsey cost recovery.
That most claims have settled says nothing about any claim that has not, 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
- Robertson & Associates, Woolsey Fire case page , Robertson & Associates, LLP
- California Department of Justice closes criminal investigation into the Woolsey Fire (August 13, 2021) , California Department of Justice
- Decision 25-12-023, settlement on Woolsey Fire cost recovery , California Public Utilities Commission (Case A.24-10-002)
- Safety and Enforcement Division investigation report, Woolsey Fire, redacted , California Public Utilities Commission
- Resolution SED-5, agreement regarding the 2017/2018 Southern California fires , California Public Utilities Commission
- SCE resolves all insurance subrogation claims for the Woolsey Fire (January 25, 2021) , Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 , Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
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 | 96,949 | CAL FIRE, July 7, 2025 |
| Structures destroyed | 1,643 | California Department of Justice, August 13, 2021 |
| People evacuated | More than 295,000 | California Department of Justice, August 13, 2021 |
| Lawsuits and plaintiffs, November 2018 to June 2024 | 656 lawsuits, 9,574 plaintiffs | California Public Utilities Commission, Decision 25-12-023, December 18, 2025 |
| Settlement with public entities, Woolsey share | $210 million | Courthouse News Service, November 13, 2019 |
| Settlement with insurers | $2.2 billion | Southern California Edison Form 8-K, January 25, 2021 |
| Pending unsettled lawsuits and plaintiffs | 17 lawsuits, 28 individual plaintiffs | Edison International Form 10-Q, July 23, 2026 |
| Woolsey costs customers will pay | About $1.9 billion of about $5.43 billion | California Public Utilities Commission, Decision 25-12-023, December 18, 2025 |
| Woolsey costs permanently disallowed | About $3.676 billion | California Public Utilities Commission, Decision 25-12-023, December 18, 2025 |
In the news
Independent news coverage related to the Woolsey Fire. Each link opens the original public reporting.
- Dec 17, 2021SoCal Edison To Pay $550M In Fines For Sparking 5 Wildfires, Including Woolsey, ThomasCBS News Los Angeles
- Dec 16, 2021Southern California Edison reaches $550 million settlement with California regulator over five wildfiresCourthouse News Service
- Aug 13, 2021Attorney general: No charges filed against SCE after 2018 Woolsey Fire investigationVentura County Star
- Aug 13, 2021State Attorney General Will Not Pursue Criminal Charges Against Edison Over 2018 Woolsey FireCBS News Los Angeles
- Jan 26, 2021SoCal Edison to pay $2B settlement in deadly Woolsey FireKTLA 5
- Jan 25, 2021Edison agrees to pay insurance companies $2.2B over Woolsey Fire lawsuitsVentura County Star
- Oct 29, 2020In redacted Woolsey Fire report, authorities blame Edison equipment for blazeVentura County Star
- Nov 13, 2019SoCal Edison to Pay $360 Million for Deadly Wildfires, MudslideCourthouse News Service
- Nov 13, 2019Southern California Edison to pay $360M settlement for Thomas, Woolsey firesCBS News Los Angeles
- Apr 25, 2019LA County sues SoCal Edison for over $100M in Woolsey Fire costs and damagesCBS News Los Angeles
- Feb 6, 2019SoCal Edison, Boeing sued over devastating Woolsey FireKTLA 5
- Nov 24, 2018New lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison on behalf of Woolsey Fire victimsABC7 Los Angeles
- Nov 24, 2018Residents who lost homes in Woolsey Fire join lawsuit against SoCal EdisonKTLA 5
Common questions about the Woolsey Fire
What caused the Woolsey Fire?
The investigation by the Ventura County Fire Department with CAL FIRE found that Southern California Edison electrical equipment caused the Woolsey Fire. Its report became public in redacted form on October 28, 2020, after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that it was no longer confidential. The California Department of Justice stated the same conclusion on August 13, 2021: high winds caused a loose guy wire near Edison's equipment to contact energized conductors on a steel pole, and the resulting arcing caused the first ignition. Staff of the California Public Utilities Commission alleged 26 violations of Commission rules. Edison has not admitted liability in any settlement, and no court has entered a judgment on liability.
Is there litigation over the Woolsey 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 Woolsey Fire affect?
The Woolsey Fire (Los Angeles and Ventura Counties) affected communities including Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Oak Park, West Hills, Bell Canyon, Lake Sherwood.
How large was the Woolsey Fire?
96,949 acres, 1,643 structures destroyed, 3 fatalities, per public records as of 2026-10-01.
What caused the Woolsey Fire?
The California Department of Justice stated on August 13, 2021 that electrical and communication equipment owned by Southern California Edison caused the 2018 Woolsey Fire: high winds pushed a loose guy wire into energized conductors on a steel pole, and the arcing caused the first ignition. The Ventura County Fire Department and CAL FIRE investigation reached the same conclusion.
When was the Woolsey Fire and how large was it?
The Woolsey Fire started on November 8, 2018 in the Simi Hills of Ventura County, California, and burned to Malibu in Los Angeles County. It burned 96,949 acres, destroyed 1,643 structures, killed three people and prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000.
Has the Woolsey Fire lawsuit settled?
Most of the Woolsey Fire litigation has settled. Southern California Edison settled with public entities for $210 million in November 2019 and with insurers for $2.2 billion in January 2021, and it has settled with most individual plaintiffs. Edison reported that, as of July 23, 2026, 17 lawsuits representing 28 individual plaintiffs remained pending.
Was Southern California Edison criminally charged for the Woolsey Fire?
No. The California Department of Justice investigated the Woolsey Fire and announced on August 13, 2021 that it had closed the criminal investigation, finding insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.
Are Edison customers paying for the Woolsey Fire?
In part. On December 18, 2025 the California Public Utilities Commission approved Decision 25-12-023, which allows Southern California Edison to recover about $1.9 billion of Woolsey Fire claims and related costs from customers, about 35 percent of what it recorded, and permanently disallows about $3.676 billion.
Sources
- Woolsey Fire incident record, CAL FIRE
- California Department of Justice closes criminal investigation into the Woolsey Fire, California Department of Justice
- 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
- SCE resolves all insurance subrogation claims for the Woolsey Fire, Edison International and Southern California Edison, filed with the SEC
- Decision 25-12-023, California Public Utilities Commission
- Investigation report of the Woolsey Fire, redacted, California Public Utilities Commission, Safety and Enforcement Division
- CPUC Penalizes SCE for 2017 and 2018 Wildfires, California Public Utilities Commission
- In redacted Woolsey Fire report, authorities blame Edison equipment for blaze, Ventura County Star
- SoCal Edison to Pay $360 Million for Deadly Wildfires, Mudslide, Courthouse News Service
Facts on this page are drawn from the public sources listed above and rewritten in original words. See Sources & Methodology.