The devastating wildfires that devoured thousands of homes in Los Angeles County, turning whole neighborhoods into moonscapes, have yet to be extinguished, but the legal battles are already beginning.
Two suits representing more than a dozen victims were filed Monday, Jan. 13, in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Southern California Edison, blaming the utility for igniting the Eaton fire, which reduced areas of Altadena to rubble and caused 16 deaths.
Both complaints allege the 14,117-acre blaze was caused by sparks from Edison high-voltage power lines that were not “de-energized” despite the high threat of fire. The suits say a resident near the area where the fire was first reported noticed the power flicker minutes before the blaze began.
The power lines arced, sending a “shower” of sparks to the dry brush below the transmission tower, said one lawsuit lead by victim Lincoln Anthony Wallen.
“The Eaton fire has become a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours,” said the Wallen suit filed by Alexander “Trey” Robertson IV and other attorneys.
On Sunday, Edison filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission that an analysis showed there were no interruptions or operational/electrical anomalies in the 12 hours before the fire started and not until more than one hour after the blaze was first reported.
Gabriela Ornelas, an SCE spokesperson, said Edison was aware of the litigation and will review the legal complaints once the company is served. “The cause of the fire continues to be under investigation,” Ornelas said.
Los Angeles County Fire officials also reiterated that the investigation is continuing.
The lawsuits contained cellphone generated photos of flames licking at the bottom of a transmission tower. Both suits seemed to rely heavily on a report by Pasadena resident Brendan Thorn, who lived on Canyon Close Road, adjacent to Eaton Canyon. He said he noticed his power flicker at 6:10 p.m. on Jan. 7.
A few minutes later a neighbor called him to say there was a fire under the power lines in Eaton Canyon. “Sure enough, I walk outside and those towers right up there at the very base of it, right around the bottom there was a fire maybe knee-high starting about there,” Thorn was quoted in the lawsuit as saying. The Eaton fire was first reported at 6:18 p.m.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.