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Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison (SCE) and its parent company, Edison International, following January's catastrophic Eaton Fire.
The blaze, which killed 17 people and destroyed 9,414 structures, has prompted legal action from Los Angeles County, neighboring cities, and affected residents who allege Edison's negligence sparked the incident.
The Eaton Fire ignited on Jan. 7 near Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains quickly intensified amid powerful Santa Ana winds. The fire scorched over 14,021 acres across northeastern L.A. suburbs, including Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.
On March 5, L.A. County filed a lawsuit against Edison, alleging the utility "deliberately prioritized profits over safety" despite knowing of the "extreme fire risk" its equipment posed as Southern California faced an exceptionally strong windstorm.
"We are committed to seeking justice for the Altadena community and the taxpayers of Los Angeles County," said Dawyn R. Harrison, County Counsel. The county seeks compensation for destroyed infrastructure, recreational areas, parks, road damage, cleanup efforts, flood prevention, workers' compensation claims, overtime costs, and lost tax revenue.
The City of Pasadena filed its lawsuit on March 5, citing damage to critical community assets, including the Pasadena Police Department's Advanced Officer Training Facility, water management infrastructure, and the Pasadena Municipal Assistance, Solutions, and Hiring building and fleet. Lisa Derderian, the city's Public Information Officer, said, "The destruction of public facilities essential to Pasadena's operations requires significant investment to restore and rebuild."
Both lawsuits reference Edison's regulatory filings acknowledging electrical system anomalies coinciding with the fire's ignition. On Jan. 9, Edison reported to the California Public Utilities Commission its electrical equipment was located within the area where the blaze started.
On Feb. 6, SCE informed the Commission that photographic evidence showed signs of potential arcing and damage on its tower's grounding equipment for two of the three idle conductors.
Singleton Schreiber filed one of the earliest lawsuits on Jan. 13 on behalf of homeowners, renters, evacuees, business owners, and others suffering from personal injury, property loss, and emotional distress. "The devastating Eaton Fire represents yet another catastrophic failure by Southern California Edison to protect the communities they serve," said Gerald Singleton, managing partner of Singleton Schreiber.
"Since 2017, Edison's equipment has sparked the Thomas, Woolsey, Easy, Bobcat, Silverado, and Fairview fires, yet they continue to operate exposed power lines in high-risk areas during dangerous weather conditions," Singleton added. "This was a preventable tragedy, and we intend to hold Edison accountable for putting their bottom line ahead of public safety."
Nachawati Law Group filed another lawsuit on behalf of an Altadena homeowner whose home was destroyed in the Jan. 7 Eaton fire. "Edison and others want to call this tragedy a 'natural disaster,' but that is not the case," said Majed Nachawati, a founding partner. "The heartbreak is made even worse because the pain, suffering, and property damage that occurred were preventable."
The Eaton fire lawsuits allege several specific failures by Edison: neglecting to maintain its electrical infrastructure, failing to clear vegetation around power lines, and disregarding National Weather Service warnings by not de-energizing transmission lines despite a Red Flag Warning issued the morning of Jan. 7.
California has experienced numerous catastrophic wildfires linked to utility equipment. In 2017 and 2018, Edison's equipment was blamed for igniting wildfires, resulting in estimated losses of $9.9 billion. In 2019, PG&E Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after facing lawsuits tied to multiple deadly northern California fires.
In a Bloomberg Television interview, Pedro Pizarro, CEO of Edison International, defended the company, stating their telemetry data showed no indication of electrical anomalies leading up to the fire. He emphasized when a fire originates across infrastructure, there is a noticeable voltage drop, and Edison's analysis revealed no such signs of voltage fluctuation.
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