Who is Responsible for Damages or Injuries Sustained in the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon Fires
It now appears that overhead electrical transmission or distribution lines operated by SDG&E may have started
the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon Fires. The law firms have been retained by clients, with aggregate claims
of approximately $30 million, to represent them in lawsuits against SDG&E and its parent corporation, Sempra Energy.
Defendant SDG&E provides electricity to the residents and businesses of at least two counties and 26 cities,
including San Diego County. Defendant SDG&E's electric transmission and distribution facilities include
substations and overhead and underground electrical supply lines consisting of approximately 1,900 miles of
transmission lines and 22,000 miles of distribution lines.
SDG&E's parent corporation, Sempra Energy, is a publicly traded, Fortune 500 energy services company that had
2006 revenues of nearly $12 billion. Sempra serves the largest customer base of any energy utility in the United
States. In Southern California, Sempra provides energy services, including the transmission and distribution of
electricity, to approximately 23.5 million customers across 24,00 square miles.
The law firms have filed and are continuing to file separate complaints against SDG&E and Sempra on behalf of
each of their clients, rather than lumping them together in one class action lawsuit. While this takes greater
work and effort by the law firms, they believe this is the most prudent approach to protecting the interests of
each separate client.
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