A California judge tentatively refused to make Southern California Edison automatically liable for billions of dollars in property losses tied to the Eaton wildfire, dealing a setback to insurers seeking an early ruling under a state law that holds utilities responsible when their equipment starts a fire. Bloomberg News reported that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Laura Seigle issued the tentative decision days after Los Angeles County fire investigators said electrical arcing from an out-of-service SCE transmission tower caused the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes. SCE spokesperson David Eisenhauer told Reuters, "Yes, we agree with the tentative ruling. Our primary goal is to support the Altadena community as they recover and rebuild." The Edison International unit faces 998 lawsuits by businesses and individuals over the fire, as well as claims by government entities and insurers.