At least five families of Eaton Fire victims have sued utility company Southern California Edison (SCE) for wrongful death and negligence following the devastating wildfire that is still blazing over a week after erupting. At the time of publishing this article, the Eaton Fire is at 55% containment after burning more than 14,000 acres, destroying at least 7,000 structures, and leaving nearly two dozen dead and two dozen missing.
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According to ABC7 Los Angeles and NBC4 Los Angeles, at least five civil lawsuits were filed on Monday (January 13), by the families of Eaton Fire victims, alleging utility company Southern California Edison (SCE) failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment and clear brush in the area, where the fire began, despite red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) regarding the catastrophic Santa Ana winds.
In a group lawsuit filed by Robertson and Associates on behalf of nearly a dozen named Altadena residents and Eaton Fire victims who are suing utility company Southern California Edison, a video captured by Jeffrey Ku is being used in connection. Ku said he took a video from his front lawn in Altadena on the evening of January 7, right at the time the Eaton Fire appeared to be starting. With the video and screenshots from it, SCE is being accused of being at fault, claiming SCE’s power equipment created an “electrical arcing event” that led to the devastating and deadly Eaton Fire.
One complaint was filed by Evangeline Iglesias, a single mother and veteran FedEx worker living in Altadena, whose single-family home she worked decades-long to buy, was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Attorneys for Iglesias alleged negligence, premises liability, and violations of the public utilities code, among other allegations in a 23-page civil complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit seeks unspecified punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages.
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The filing in part reads, “The property damage and economic losses caused by the Eaton Fire is the result of the ongoing custom and practice of Defendant of consciously disregarding the safety of the public and not following statutes, regulations, standards, and rules regarding the safe operation, use and maintenance of their overhead electric facilities.” Iglesias’ lawsuit also notes, “There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by Defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison (collectively “SCE”). SCE had a duty to properly maintain and operate its electrical infrastructure, yet it failed to do so.”
Another lawsuit has been filed by the family of Eaton fire victim Evelyn McClendon, who was a 59-year-old former Pasadena public school bus driver and part of a multi-generational Altadena family. In the complaint, filed by civil rights activist and attorney Ben Crump, utility company Southern California Edison is accused of wrongful death and negligence, claiming SCE failed to turn off utilities despite clear warning about extremely dangerous fire conditions, leading to catastrophic consequences.
Speaking on the lawsuit filing, Crump said, “We don’t take lightly the responsibility of making sure that this Black angel Evelyn McClendon gets full justice and accountability. We want them to know that her life matters, and we will fight to make sure she gets everything allowed by the law to say that her death will not be in vain.”
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While the cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation, many social media users have been quick to accuse SCE of igniting the flames as video evidence appears to show the fire erupting under one of the utility’s transmission towers in Eaton Canyon on January 7.
On Monday, Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of the parent company of Southern California Edison, confirmed to ABC News that investigations were looking to determine if any of their electrical equipment contributed to either the Eaton Fire or Hurst Fire (near Sylmar and Santa Clarita) eruptions.
Pizarro said, “We’ve seen in your reporting the videos, we’ve seen the photos, so we know that there was fire there. We don’t know what caused it. Again, there was the obvious signature that we would see normally, but we have not been able to get up close to those lines because firefighters have determined that it hasn’t been safe to do that yet. Whatever we find, we’ll be transparent with our public.”
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Responding to one of the first complaints filed by the Eaton Fire victims or their families, utility company Southern California Edison told ABC7 Los Angeles, “Our hearts remain with our community during the devastating fires in Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time. SCE crews, contractors and mutual- assistance partners are dedicated to safely restoring power to our customers. SCE understands that a lawsuit related to the Eaton Fire has been filed, but SCE 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.”
In addition to the above complaints, two other lawsuits also allege that utility company Southern California Edison failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment on January 7 despite “repeated and clear warnings” by the National Weather Service of wind gusts as high as 100 mph and an extreme risk of fire.
In one complaint filed by a group of renters, including Michael Kreiner who was forced to evacuate, “Despite knowing of an extreme fire risk, Defendants deliberately prioritized profits over safety. This recklessness and conscious disregard for human safety was a substantial factor in bringing about the Eaton Fire.”
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Patrick McNicholas, the attorney who represents Kreiner and other renters, said, “In my decades of experience handling wildfire litigation, the Eaton Fire is among the most devastating and heart-wrenching cases I’ve seen. 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.”
SCE is also accused of failing to properly inspect and maintain their electric facilities. In a complaint filed by Jeremy Gursey, who lost his home in Altadena, it reads, “These Defendants failed to properly inspect and maintain their electric facilities in order to cut costs, with the full knowledge that any incident was likely to result in a wildfire that would burn and destroy real and personal property, displace homeowners from their homes and disrupt businesses in the fire area.”
The complaint adds, “[SCE’s electrical transmission system] was in a dangerous condition, posing a significant risk of electrical failure, fire, and property damage to surrounding property and communities. Had SCE acted responsibly, the Eaton Fire could have been prevented.”
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