Businesses along Lake Avenue destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. The causes of the fire and others that broke out in Los Angeles last week are under investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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At least two lawsuits have been filed against power company Southern California Edison, based on speculation that faulty power lines may have sparked the Eaton Fire, which claimed the lives of at least 16 people and destroyed more than a thousand structures.
Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have not determined the cause of the fire; the agency says it has just begun its investigation into the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, which are still burning. But that hasn’t stopped the speculation.
For days, social media accounts have been full of videos and alleged eyewitness accounts that appear to show flames erupting beneath transmission power lines in Eaton Canyon. These posts have fueled questions about whether the power company is responsible.
Edison of Southern California spokeswoman Gabriela Ornelas told NPR that her company was aware of a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court but had not been served or had not had the opportunity to examine the complaint Monday evening.
“Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating wildfires that have ravaged Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them during this difficult time,” Ornelas said. “SCE will review the complaint as soon as it is received, the cause of the fire continues to be investigated.”
Attorney Ali Moghaddas, of the Edelson PC Law Firm, represents Evangeline Iglesias, an Altadena resident whose home burned to the ground. He says the complaint was filed quickly to preserve potential evidence that could help reconstruct the scene later in court.
The complaint alleges that Southern California Edison violated public safety and utility codes and was negligent in its handling of safe power outages during known extreme fire conditions and high winds.
SoCal Edison and other power companies say they shut off power preemptively at the height of the fire, following guidelines from the California Public Utilities Commission.
In an interview with ABC News earlier Monday, Pedro Pizarro, CEO of Southern California Edison’s parent company, said employees monitoring the lines remotely at the time saw no indication of electrical anomalies that would typically cause sparks.
“That said, we have not yet been able to approach the equipment because the fire department has not deemed the area safe for entry,” Pizarro said. told ABC’s George Stephanoplous. “So as soon as we can get close to it, we will inspect and we will be transparent with the public.”
Moghaddas says the utility company’s response is part of a strategy it has used to avoid liability in the past, and alleges the company has not been transparent about the transmission lines and towers that were knocked out during the last peak of the Santa Ana winds. week.
“They had the tools to try to mitigate the possibility of this wildfire, and instead they chose to ignore those warnings,” Moghaddas told NPR. “They did not do what they were supposed to do, as our complaint alleges.”
Southern California Edison has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements related to at least seven other wildfires in recent years, including $80 million in settlements to the U.S. Forest Service for the 2017 Thomas Fire and to Los County Angeles for the Thomas fire. Bobcat Fire 2020.