What to Know
- The lawsuit seeks to recover costs and damages from the second-most destructive wildfire on record in California.
- County parks, a nature center, trails and other community infrastructure were damaged in the fire.
- The Eaton Fire spread quickly in Altadena during a Santa Ana windstorm on the night of Jan. 7.
- Several videos surfaced in the days and weeks after the fire that became part of investigations into how the 14,000 fire started.
- Edison International has said it is “exploring every possibility, including the possibility that SCE’s equipment was involved.”
Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Southern California Edison over the deadly Eaton Fire in the Altadena area northeast of Los Angeles.
The lawsuit, which names SoCal Edison and Edison International, seeks to recover costs and damages from the second-most destructive wildfire on record in California. The Eaton Fire, one of several that broke out Jan. 7 in a Santa Ana windstorm, destroyed 9,400 structures and resulted in 17 deaths, according to CalFire.
County parks, a nature center, trails and other community infrastructure were damaged in the 14,000-acre fire, according to a news release from the county announcing the lawsuit.
“Numerous County departments and employees responded and are continuing to assist residents impacted by the fire’s destruction,” the county said in a statement. “The County quickly staffed and continues to offer resources at a Disaster Recovery Center in Altadena to help residents and businesses navigate the extensive hardships they are facing due to the fire. The County’s case is essential to the restoration and rebuilding process for the community, including residences and businesses, to recover from the devastation.”
“Our hearts are with the communities affected by the wildfires in Southern California,” a spokesperson for Southern California Edison said in a statement. “We are reviewing the lawsuits that were recently filed and will address them through the appropriate legal process.”
Edison officials have said previously that the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that witnesses, photos and videos indicate the “fire started directly under SCE transmission lines in Eaton Canyon.” Edison International said in early February that video, photos and more are being reviewed to determine what started the Eaton Fire and that it is “exploring every possibility, including the possibility that SCE’s equipment was involved.”
New video shows an electrical spark in the hills above Altadena that is now being investigated as what could have grown to the massive Eaton Fire that ripped through the community. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Several videos came to light in the days and weeks after the fire that appeared to show the first flames in Eaton Canyon near utility infrastructure. After the Eaton Fire started, SoCal Edison informed that California Public Utilities Commision of a fault on its transmission line around the time the fire started on an extremely windy night in Altadena.
In that Feb. 6 letter to the CPUC, Edison said “photographic evidence of its tower at the end of the idle Mesa-Sylmar transmission line shows signs of potential arcing and damage on the grounding equipment for two of the three idle conductors.”
The county said it is still counting up the costs and damages from the Eaton Fire and recovery, but estimated it will reach at least hundreds of millions of dollars.
A lawsuit also was filed by the city of Pasadena, which raised similar allegations against the utility.
Video
New video shows flames at the base of a specific SoCal electrical tower that was supposed to be disconnected from power. Brittany Hope reports for the NBC4 News at 5 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2025.
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