SDG&E power line outage occurred near start of Norte fire in San Clemente

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) experienced a power line outage on Circuit 197 at 11:31 a.m. near the ignition point of the Norte fire in San Clemente, according to an online post captured from the utility’s website and reported by sgvtribune.com and other outlets.

The Norte fire was first reported two minutes later at 11:33 a.m. in the Portico Del Norte area of San Clemente, as noted by the Orange County Fire Authority. The outage affected 496 customers in the vicinity.

SDG&E confirmed the outage via email but did not provide specific details about the timing, circuit, or exact location. Newport Beach attorney Richard Bridgford, who specializes in wildfire cases, said the timing and location of the outage are consistent with the probability that SDG&E’s equipment was related to the fire’s ignition.

Bridgford provided the screen capture of the outage post and noted that the pattern aligns with previous utility-caused wildfires. He has been involved in lawsuits against Southern California Edison for fires caused by their equipment.

The last major wildfire linked to SDG&E equipment was in 2007, when the Witch Creek, Guejito, and Rice fires burned nearly 200,000 acres in San Diego County, killing two people and destroying more than 1,300 homes.

The Norte fire damaged or destroyed at least six homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate on October 16. Investigations into the cause are ongoing, with the outage near the fire’s origin under scrutiny.