New video shows SoCal Edison equipment sparking Eaton Fire, attorneys say

Lawyers representing Eaton Fire survivors presented a video claiming that Southern California Edison equipment started the fast-moving wildfire.

The attorneys at LA Fire Justice digitally enhanced a combination of footage from 14 witnesses to improve the video quality. It depicts two flashes of light seen at a decommissioned SoCal Edison tower as molten material moves down onto the hills, attorneys said. The Eaton Fire started burning dry brush underneath the tower 12 seconds after the initial video.

Attorney Mike Watts told people at a town hall meeting that the video helps prove that the Eaton Fire was caused by SoCal Edison equipment. Specifically, he claimed it was how SCE deactivated an idle line in 1971 that ultimately led to Altadena neighborhoods burning down.

"Where's the oversight?" legendary consumer attorney Erin Brockovich said. "Where's the follow-through? Where's the PUC? Where's the governor? Where's the insurance commissioner? Where are you? How did this happen again?

Brockovich said she's felt the fury of these residents, having lost insurance in California, too. 

"Someone should step up to the plate and start taking some accountability," she said. 

SoCal Edison spokesperson Jeff Monford said that any videos related to the Eaton Fire require careful analysis, and it would be premature to comment on the latest release. He added that the utility company is committed to a thorough and transparent process. 

"It was very traumatic trying to get out of there, hoping that we didn't catch on fire," Altadena resident Lorre Hamberry said. 

Hamberry lost her West Altadena home of 49 years. She said it's also upsetting that she never got an evacuation order. She's one of many people struggling to repair their lives who came here to learn more about their potential options.