TRIUNFO-LOBO CANYON, Calif. — A group of Santa Monica Mountains residents has filed formal complaints with state regulators after Southern California Edison shut off electricity to their rural neighborhood in the midst of a wildfire emergency, leaving them without any means of communication as flames advanced nearby.
THE residents of Triunfo-Lobo Canyon say the outage, which stretched across 19 days in January, endangered lives rather than protect them. They argue that the blackout left them unable to receive emergency alerts, monitor evacuation orders or contact loved ones as three wildfires burned just miles from their homes.
“We were left completely in the dark—literally and figuratively,” said resident Louisa McLean. “No electricity meant no internet access to news, no phone service, and no way to know if we needed to evacuate.”
Southern California Edison said the shutoff was part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or (PSPS)—an emergency tool util ities use to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires during dangerous weather conditions. SCE maintains the measure is a last resort used to protect the public.
But residents claim the conditions on the ground did not match the utility’s justification. Multiple complaints filed with the California Public Utilities Commission include…
