Update: Edison International Sees Palisades Fire Claims Narrowed by US Judge

05:39 AM EDT, 10/16/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Update with Southern California Edison's response in the fifth paragraph) Edison International (EIX) won the dismissal of several claims in litigation alleging Southern California Edison contributed to damage from the January 2025 Palisades Fire, with a Los Angeles Superior Court judge allowing negligence and other claims to proceed only for plaintiffs with properties in Malibu, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday. Judge Samantha Jessner dismissed inverse condemnation claims, finding that the utility's poles were in the fire's path rather than the cause of the blaze, and were not inherently dangerous because they lacked protective fire mesh. The court also struck punitive damages allegations, according to a Daily Journal report. The ruling eliminated claims against Edison brought by 4,435 plaintiffs, leaving 1,846 Malibu property owners with claims against the utility, the report said. The remaining claims include negligence, trespass, nuisance, premises liability and violations of the California Public Utilities Code. "We appreciate the court's attention to this matter and are satisfied with the ruling," South California Edison spokesperson Diane Castro told MT Newswires in an e-mail statement. "We appreciate the court's attention to this matter and are satisfied with the ruling. We continue to believe we should bear no liability in the Palisades Fire."