Utility probes cause of California fire that burned mansions

By MARCIO SANCHEZ and JOHN ANTCZAK

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — Southern California Edison has told California utility regulators that unspecified electrical circuit activity happened at about the time a wildfire erupted in the coastal community of Laguna Niguel that burned at least 20 homes. The Coastal Fire was reported at midafternoon Wednesday. SoCal Edison says in a report to the California Public Utilities Commission an investigation is underway but that there was circuit activity close to the reported time of the fire. The commission last year approved a settlement of more than half a billion dollars in fines and penalties for Southern California Edison for the role its equipment had in five wildfires from 2017 to 2018.