Multiple lawsuits filed against Southern California Edison over the deadly Eaton Fire
Multiple lawsuits have reportedly been filed against Southern California Edison alleging that the company's equipment started the deadly Eaton Fire.
Richard Bridgford of Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian issued a statement after filing a complaint for one of its clients Monday with the Los Angeles Superior Court:
“Based upon our investigation, our discussions with various consultants, the public statements of SCE, and the video evidence of the fire’s origin, we believe that the Eaton Fire was ignited because of SCE’s failure to de-energize its overhead wires which traverse Eaton Canyon—despite a red flag PDS wind warning issued by the national weather service the day before the ignition of the fire. Our hearts go out to the many victims of this and the other Los Angeles fires. We will be holding informational meetings about the claims we are pursuing on behalf of victims of the Eaton Fire at the Pasadena Hilton next to the Pasadena Convention Center on January 18th and 19th at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM each day.”
KABC reported that at least five other lawsuits have been filed against SCE, including one that claims there is "clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by SCE."
The Eaton Fire has burned over more than 14,000 acres in the Altadena/Pasadena areas since Tuesday. 16 people have died as a result of the Eaton Fire and over 7,000 structures have been destroyed.
On Friday, KABC spoke with witnesses who reported that the fire had started from a downed power line.
According to Yahoo, the utility company issued a statement on Friday that authorities were investigating whether its equipment was "involved in the ignition of one of the Los Angeles fires. It confirmed that one of its power lines fell on Jan. 7 but it "does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire."
News Channel 3 has reached out to SCE for a comment on the lawsuit and is awaiting a response.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
