SoCal Edison faces lawsuit alleging Eaton Fire was sparked by its equipment
Attorneys representing those affected by the Eaton Fire filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison alleging that the company's equipment sparked the disastrous blaze in Altadena.
"This goes beyond a failure of responsibility—it is gross negligence in an area highly vulnerable to wildfires, especially with well-documented weather alerts and high wind risks," said Patrick McNicholas, an attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas. "We are committed to holding Southern California Edison accountable for their alleged negligence and to seeking justice for victims who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones."
The 14,000-acre Eaton Fire decimated Altadena neighborhoods and spread to communities along the Angeles National Forest line, including Pasadena and Sierra Madre. As of Monday, firefighters have contained 33% of the blaze. As firefighters continued sifting through the rubble a week later, the blaze quickly became one of California's most destructive and deadliest fires. It resulted in the deaths of 16 people and the destruction of thousands of buildings.
The lawsuit, filed by McNicholas & McNicholas, Becker Law Group and Singleton Schreiber, claims the utility company "failed to comply" with safety standards, which include power line maintenance and overgrown vegetation.
"SCE understands that a lawsuit related to the Eaton fire has been filed but has not yet been served with the complaint. SCE will review the complaint when it is received. The cause of the fire continues to be under investigation," said Jeff Monford, spokesperson for Southern California Edison.
In its incident report sent to the California Public Utilities Commission, SoCal Edison disputed the claim that its equipment started the fire, citing "no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire."
"To date, no fire agency has suggested that SCE's electric facilities were involved in the ignition or requested the removal and retention of any SCE equipment," SoCal Edison wrote in its report.
Additionally, in a statement from last week, SoCal Edison said that the distribution lines immediately to the west of Eaton Cayon were energized well before the reported start time of the fire as part of its public safety power shutoff program.
"Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time," Monford said.
