Three lawsuits were filed Monday accusing Southern California Edison of starting the Eaton Fire — one of several deadly blazes that erupted last week amid a historic windstorm and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Attorneys for Altadena-area homeowners announced the lawsuits Monday, saying their clients either had to evacuate their homes or lost their homes entirely in the Eaton fire. Each of the lawsuits blames the utility for the fact that the fire broke out under a Southern California Edison transmission tower. The official cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
“We believe the Eaton Fire was started due to SCE’s failure to de-energize its overhead wires that cross Eaton Canyon,” said attorney Richard Bridgford, who represents a local property owner.
The two other lawsuits filed Monday — one representing a FedEx employee who lost his Altadena home and the second representing several Altadena homeowners — echo that assertion.
A spokesman for the utility, Jeff Monford, said the company was aware of the lawsuits but had not yet been served.
“SCE will review the complaint upon receipt. The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” he said. “Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California and we remain committed to supporting them during this difficult time »
The utility said in statements that it did not believe its transmission tower was responsible for the fire. The Eaton Fire is under investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A Times report found that Cal Fire had cordoned off the transmission tower where the fire appears to have started.
The lawsuits point to Southern California Edison’s responsibility for other wildfires and the fact that the fire started under the transmission tower as evidence that the company’s power lines started the fire, but experts said it was too early to draw conclusions.
“This looks bad for Edison. But do we know? There’s a difference between looking bad and knowing. And we don’t know that yet,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policing Program at Stanford University.
The Eaton Fire began burning around 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 7, and initial images and photos taken by residents and shared with The Times show the fire directly beneath a Southern California Edison transmission tower.
The fire destroyed hundreds of structures and killed 17 people and is still only 33% contained.