Wednesday, November 19, 2025

LA County Looks to Compel Telecom Firms to Underground Infrastructure

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors instructed its staff Tuesday to initiate efforts aimed at requiring telecommunications companies to underground their infrastructure in the Santa Monica Mountains as a fire- prevention measure.

The board action directed staff to move forward with proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission to address the issue in communities such as Topanga, Las Flores and others.

“Undergrounding utilities is essential to preventing wildfires and protecting our communities,” Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in a statement after the vote. “Fire season is here now, and our residents cannot wait for safer infrastructure. Undergrounding telecommunications reduces fire risks, keeps evacuation routes clear, and strengthens the systems our communities rely on every day. Through today’s action, we will work with the CPUC to require the urgent action our communities deserve. We owe it to fire survivors to build infrastructure that keeps them safe.”

According to Horvath’s office, Southern California Edison has been making “significant progress” on undergrounding projects in areas such as Las Flores/Rambla Pacifico and along Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway. But telecommunications companies that utilize the SCE poles “have refused to underground their equipment, leaving hazardous poles standing even after SCE has removed its lines,” according to Horvath’s office.

“Leaving overhead electrical and telecommunications infrastructure can fuel fires, block evacuation routes, and intensify emergencies — especially in areas where residents depend on only one or two evacuation routes.”