Mayor renews call to replace fire-prone above-ground power lines in Laguna Canyon

Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi called for the replacement of above-ground power lines — which have been linked to the cause of past wildfires — with underground infrastructure to reduce the chances of sparks igniting Laguna Canyon during a news conference Monday.

His comments followed reports of a downed Southern California Edison conductor near the heart of the Hurst fire, which charred almost 800 acres near Sylmar last week. And, although investigators were still looking into the cause of the Eaton fire, which had scorched over 14,000 acres and damaged or destroyed about 7,000 homes as of Wednesday, at least four lawsuits have been filed claiming the utility company’s equipment may have been involved.

When strong winds threaten to damage above-ground lines in remote areas filled with potentially flammable vegetation, power companies may conduct what are known as public safety power shutoffs. These can prevent lines from sparking a disaster, at the expense of leaving neighborhoods without electricity for hours at a time.

City Manager Dave Kiff said Edison initiated two power shutoffs in Laguna Beach over the weekend due to high winds as firefighters continued to work to contain the flames that have ravaged Los Angeles County.

The possibility of Santa Ana winds knocking down electrical equipment and causing a fire in Laguna Canyon has long been a concern for local residents and elected officials. A ballot initiative proposing a 1% sales tax increase to fund the installation of underground power infrastructure along Laguna Canyon Road, key evacuation routes and other areas was considered in 2018. But it fell short of residents’ approval with support from just over 46% of voters in that year’s general election.

“When I ran in 2022, the number one issue I had on the top line of my platform was underground utilities,” Rounaghi said during Monday’s news conference. “... I do think this is top of mind for residents.”

Rounaghi said awareness generated by the devastation wrought in L.A. County may help Laguna Beach generate the political will to move forward with such a project. He added that within several days, the city will learn whether it has been approved for a grant from the regulatory body overseeing the state’s grid, the California Public Utilities Commission, to help fund work on underground power lines in the canyon.

The mayor also plans to bring the issue to the forefront of conversations with his counterparts from around the country and federal officials when he attends the United States Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting beginning on Friday.