A number of lawsuits were filed Monday against Southern California Edison, a California utility company, by homeowners and renters. they lost their home in the Eaton Fire. All four lawsuits allege the company failed to unplug all of its electrical equipment, despite red warnings issued by the National Weather Service.
“The property damage and economic loss caused by the Eaton Fire are the result of the defendant’s continuing habit and practice of knowingly disregarding the safety of the public and failing to comply with statutes, rules, standards and regulations regarding the safe operation, use and maintenance of aerial electrical installations,” Evangeline said. A complaint filed by Iglesias, who said he used his decades-long career at FedEx to buy a single-family home. destroyed by fire.
On Monday, the CEO of SCE’s parent company said on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that investigations are underway to determine if any of their equipment contributed to the start of the Eaton or Hurst fires.
“You can’t rule anything out until you lay eyes on the equipment,” Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “Normally, when there’s a spark created by the equipment, we’ll see an electrical anomaly – we didn’t see that.”
“Having said that, we couldn’t get close to the equipment,” he continued. “As soon as we approach it, we will inspect it and be transparent with the public.”
Officials have repeatedly said they are still investigating the cause of the Eaton and Hurst fires, as well as several other fires that started in January.
A man searches through the remains of his home in the Eaton Fire near Los Angeles, California, on January 9, 2025.
Ringo Chiu/Reuters
The four lawsuits allege the company failed to unplug all of its electrical equipment on Jan. 7, despite “repeated and clear warnings” from the National Weather Service of 100 mph wind gusts and severe fire danger. to one of the lawsuits.
“Despite knowing the extreme fire risk, the defendants willfully prioritized profits over safety. This recklessness and conscious disregard for human safety was a significant factor in causing the Eaton Fire,” said a complaint filed by a group of renters, including Michael Kreiner. who were forced to evacuate.
“In my decades of experience handling fire litigation, the Eaton Fire is one of the most devastating and emotional cases I’ve seen,” said attorney Patrick McNicholas, who represents Kreiner and the other tenants. “It goes beyond a failure of responsibility: it is gross negligence in an area that is extremely vulnerable to wildfires, especially with well-documented weather alerts and high wind risks.”
One of the lawsuits filed on behalf of several families who lost their homes says the Eaton Fire started when SCE’s energized transmission and electrical equipment created an “arcing event” that sent a shower of debris and molten metal down to the ground. fuel bed”.
The complaints allege that SCE failed to properly inspect and maintain its electrical facilities.
“These defendants failed to properly inspect and maintain electrical installations to reduce costs, any incident would likely have resulted in a fire that would have burned and destroyed real and personal property, displaced homeowners and disrupted business in the area of the fires,” says the complaint filed by Jeremy Gursey. , who lost his house in Altadena.
Structural damage is seen from a hillside perspective after the Eaton fire on January 10, 2025 in Altadena, California.
Jae C. Hong/AP
According to Gursey’s complaint, SCE’s electrical transmission system was “in a dangerous condition, resulting in a substantial risk of electrical failure, fire, and damage to nearby property and communities.”
“Had SCE acted diligently, the Eaton Fire could have been avoided,” the complaint states.
In a statement, an SCE spokesperson told ABC News, “Our hearts go out to our communities during the devastating wildfires in Southern California, and we remain committed to helping them during this difficult time. SCE crews, contractors and mutual aid partners are dedicated to providing power to our customers. safely reset SCE understands that a lawsuit related to the Eaton fire has been filed, but that the cause of the fire has not yet been reported when SCE receives the complaint he continues to investigate.”
When asked, the spokesperson admitted that more than one lawsuit has been filed against SCE.
Some of the complaints include public statements from residents and fire from the base of power transmission towers owned and operated by SCE.
Gursey’s complaint includes Google Earth satellite photos that allegedly confirm the fire’s area of origin where SCE’s circuit lines cross Eaton Canyon.
In a press release included in the complaint by SCE, the utility company confirmed that the Eaton Fire started in SCE’s service area.
A partially melted car stands next to homes destroyed by the Eaton fire on January 10, 2025 in Altadena, California.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
All four lawsuits seek compensatory and punitive damages for the plaintiffs.
“The conduct alleged by the Defendants in this complaint was despicable and the Plaintiffs were subjected to cruel and unjust hardship in a conscious disregard of their safety and rights, constituting oppression, for which the Defendant should be punished with a penalty and exemplary damages based on the evidence.” says Gursey’s complaint.
More than 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed The Eaton Fire, which has consumed more than 14,000 acres, according to Cal Fire, and killed at least 16 people, according to the LA County medical examiner.
