Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Los Angeles County on Wednesday announced that they had filed separate lawsuits in L.A. County Superior Court against Southern California Edison for its alleged role in the deadly Eaton Fire.
The lawsuits accuse SoCal Edison’s equipment of starting the fire in Eaton Canyon, citing reports that the utility filed with the California Public Utilities Commission that a “fault was detected” at or near the same time.
The cities and county also point to photos and videos that show fire near the base of SoCal Edison transmission towers.
The lawsuits are looking to cover damages from the Eaton Fire, which burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed more than 9,000 structures, and killed at least 17 people in January. L.A. County alone estimates that damages will total hundreds of millions of dollars or more.
Sierra Madre Mayor Robert Parkhurst said in a statement that the fire devastated irreplaceable wilderness areas that are central to the city’s identity and character.
“What makes this disaster particularly troubling is its preventability,” Parkhurst said in a statement. “The documented weather warnings provided Edison with ample notice of the dangerous conditions developing in our community.”
A spokesperson for SoCal Edison told LAist that they “are reviewing the lawsuits that were recently filed and will address them through the appropriate legal process.”
The details
The cities and county are looking to cover costs for destroyed infrastructure, parks, road damage, cleanup efforts, overtime for employees and lost taxes, among others.
“We are committed to seeking justice for the Altadena community and the taxpayers of Los Angeles County,” Dawyn R. Harrison, the county counsel who filed the case, said in a statement.
All three lawsuits accuse SoCal Edison of having “negligently failed” to safely inspect and maintain its equipment — and the vegetation around it.
They also allege that SoCal Edison didn’t de-energize all of its electrical equipment in and around Eaton Canyon, despite being warned of the destructive windstorm and extreme fire weather conditions days in advance by the National Weather Service.
“Despite its knowledge of extreme fire risk, [SoCal Edison] deliberately prioritized profits over safety,” the lawsuits allege.
The utility is accused of having a “history of safety failures,” with the lawsuits pointing to at least eight other wildfires, including the 2017 Thomas and 2018 Woolsey fires, which burned more than 370,000 acres altogether.
Lisa Derderian, public information officer for Pasadena, said in a statement that the city has a responsibility to pursue appropriate compensation for the costs of rebuilding the public infrastructure the community relies upon.
