Acknowledging the risk for another above-average wildfire season, Edison International CEO Pablo Pizarro said recently he was confident the Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) utility was prepared.

California avoided the “catastrophic widespread damage” of the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons even with last year’s all-time record acreage scorched, he said during the first quarter conference call last week.

The budget for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) is 45% more  than five years ago, and there are 30% more firefighters than in 2019, he said. Enhanced personnel and equipment should “help the state to move more quickly to combat wildfires before they become catastrophic.” 

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) also has been...