Lawyers for the Eaton Fire victims sued Southern California Edison, claiming that the company’s machinery was the cause of the catastrophic Altadena fire.
Patrick McNicholas, an attorney with McNicholas & McNicholas, stated, “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.” “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.”
Communities along the Angeles National Forest line, such as Pasadena and Sierra Madre, were affected by the 14,000-acre Eaton Fire, which devastated Altadenan neighborhoods. 33% of the fire has been suppressed by firefighters as of Monday. One week later, as firefighters were still searching through the debris, the fire swiftly rose to the status of one of California’s deadliest and most damaging fires. It caused thousands of buildings to be destroyed and 16 people to be killed.
“SCE is aware that a lawsuit has been filed in connection with the Eaton fire, but the complaint has not yet been served. As soon as the complaint is received, SCE will review it. Southern California Edison representative Jeff Monford stated that the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
SoCal Edison refuted the assertion that the fire was caused by its equipment in its incident report to the California Public Utilities Commission, stating that there were “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 stated in its report.
Furthermore, as part of its public safety power shutoff policy, SoCal Edison stated in a statement last week that the distribution lines just west of Eaton Cayon were electrified well in advance of the fire’s alleged start time.
“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 stated.