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Published on January 13, 2025
Victims File Lawsuits Accusing Southern California Edison of Negligence in Deadly Eaton FireSource: Google Street View

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison (SCE) in the aftermath of the catastrophic Eaton Fire, which has become one of California's most deadly blazes. According to FOX LA, the litigation charges SCE with negligence in maintaining their electrical infrastructure, amid claims that failure to comply with safety standards contributed to the fire's ignition. The fire, which began on January 7 in the Altadena area, has since destroyed over 7,000 structures and taken at least 16 lives.

As reported by ABC7, one plaintiff, Evangeline Iglesias, lost her home in the fire. Her complaint alleges SCE consciously disregarded public safety and failed to de-energize its electrical equipment despite severe wind warnings. This is compounded by another lawsuit cited in the same report that includes graphic evidence, including photographs and witness accounts, all seemingly to suggest SCE's equipment as the origin of the inferno. SCE's CEO Pedro Pizarro promised transparency but confirmed the fire's cause remains under investigation.

In a separate incident, SCE confirmed a downed conductor near an electrical tower in Sylmar, where the Hurst Fire began, as revealed in a report by AP News. However, SCE stated it was uncertain whether the damage occurred before or after the fire started. The Hurst Fire has been mostly contained. Simultaneously, SCE reported to the California Public Utilities Commission that preliminary analysis for the Eaton area showed no electrical abnormalities until more than an hour after the fire was reported.

Back in the Eaton Fire litigation, attorney Patrick McNicholas, representing various victims, declared the gravity of SCE's alleged negligence. "In my decades of experience handling wildfire litigation, the Eaton Fire is among the most devastating and heart-wrenching cases I've seen," McNicholas told ABC7. The lawsuits seek compensatory damages for the plaintiffs and, in some cases, punitive damages, acknowledging the intensity of the hardship faced by the victims.