Federal officials allege that the Bobcat fire, which burned more than 114,000 acres in 2020, ignited when trees that were not properly maintained by Southern California Edison and its tree maintenance contractor came into contact with power lines.

The U.S. government had filed a lawsuit against SCE in 2023, alleging negligence that caused the wildfire, which burned nearly 180 square miles (466.2 square kilometers) in one of the largest wildfires in Los Angeles County.

A California utility has agreed to pay the federal government $82.5 million stemming from an enormous 2020 wildfire that churned through mountains northeast of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert,