The Los Angeles electrical company, Southern California Edison, is being sued for allegedly causing one of the devastating flames that have killed at least 24 people and forced tens of thousands more to from their homes.
In a complaint filed in LA County Superior Court on Monday, Jeremy Gursey, whose home in the Altadena area was burned in the Eaton Fire, claimed that SCE was to blame for starting the fire. SCE has disputed this accusation on multiple occasions. Although they are looking into an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon as a potential Eaton Fire origin location, local officials also stated on Monday that they have not yet identified the cause of the fires.The Los Angeles Times claims that.
Photographs taken by Altadena homeowners Jennifer and Marcus Errico at approximately 6:15 p.m. on January 7 of a minor fire beneath transmission lines that traveled across Eaton Canyon were used by Gursey as proof. The Erricos informed CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Friday that they had discovered the Eaton fire’s origin.
Marcus Errico said to CNN on Friday, “I noticed a glow in the hillside directly above our house.” And as I approached, I could see that there are a number of transformer towers with power lines extending up into the mountains directly across from us on the hillside in Eaton Canyon. Additionally, there was only a tiny circle of flames encircling the entire base of one.
Notably, Errico expressed uncertainty about SCE’s involvement in the fire.Errico told CNN, “I can’t say with certainty that the power lines were the cause of it.” However, I can state with certainty that Eaton Canyon, which is located just on the border between Pasadena and Altadena, is where the first fire in Pasadena and Altadena started. On Tuesday night, it was beneath that tower. It started as a tiny fire beneath, and ten minutes later, the entire slope was consumed by the flames.
Errico told CNN, “I can’t say with certainty that the power lines were the cause of it.” However, I can state with certainty that Eaton Canyon, which is located just on the border between Pasadena and Altadena, is where the first fire in Pasadena and Altadena started. On Tuesday night, it was beneath that tower. It started as a tiny fire beneath, and ten minutes later, the entire slope was consumed by the flames.
According to a statement released by SCE on Sunday, an examination of the circuits and transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon region revealed that the fire was not likely to have been started by its electrical equipment.
From more than an hour after the fire’s alleged start time, the utility stated, “that analysis shows no interruptions or operational/electrical anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire’s reported start time.”
A request for comment on the complaint was not answered by SCE on Monday. Due to investor concerns that the firm may be partially financially responsible for the fires, shares of SCE’s parent company, Edison International (EIX), dropped 10% on Monday and have already dropped 30% over the previous week.
Other utilities that have been held accountable have had to pay hefty fines. For example, California’s biggest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, declared bankruptcy in 2019 after being connected to several wildfires in the state. Additionally, a consortium of firms, including Hawaiian Electric, reached a $4 billion settlement with locals over their involvement in the Lahaina fire in 2023.
The evidence supporting SCE is mounting, according to Richard Bridgford, partner at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, who is Gursey’s attorney in the complaint filed Monday.
In an interview with CNN, Bridgford said, “They said that the distribution lines east of Eaton Canyon would be energized.” We are aware that the ignition point is situated just beneath their line. We think they will be determined to have caused the fire based on the video footage and in-depth discussions with our specialists.
According to Bridgford, SCE is most likely responsible for the fire since the firm neglected to de-energize its overhead wires in spite of a red flag wind warning from the National Weather Service. Bridgford stated that even though there isn’t any concrete proof yet, he thinks “there’s always going to be more evidence coming.”
Despite being the first lawsuit Gursey has filed against the electricity company, it is most likely not the last. Bridgford, who has already defended tens of thousands of victims of wildfires, stated that this lawsuit is only the beginning.
“We have a lot more planned,” he stated.
