Lawsuit claims utility’s equipment sparked devastating Eaton Fire, but investigation still ongoing
5.99. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU BRIAN. WELL, THIS MORNING FIREFIGHTERS ARE RACING TO CONTROL MORE OF THE PALISADES AND EATON FIRES AS ANOTHER ROUND OF SANTA ANA WIND MOVES IN. AND NOW THE DEATH TOLL, WE HAVE LEARNED, HAS GROWN TO 24. LET’S GO LIVE NOW TO THE AERIAL VIEWS OF THE FIRE. AS THE SUN IS GETTING READY TO RISE. AND AT THIS POINT, WE’RE NOT SEEING BIG ACTIVE FIRE, WHICH IS GOOD. NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARE IN PLACE ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM GOING BACK INTO THOSE BURN AREAS. THE LA POLICE CHIEF SAYS THE FOCUS IS ON SAFETY AND THAT PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO BACK IN UNTIL THE LATEST WIND WARNINGS END, AND THAT WILL LIKELY HAPPEN ON WEDNESDAY. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT THE LATEST NUMBERS ON THE WILDFIRES. THE PALISADES FIRE IS THE LARGEST. IT’S 23,000 ACRES IN SIZE WITH 13% CONTAINMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN EIGHT CONFIRMED DEATHS INVOLVED WITH THE PALISADES FIRE. THE EATON FIRE IS OVER 14,000 ACRES IN SIZE, WITH 27% CONTAINMENT. THEY ARE GAINING SOME GROUND. THERE HAVE BEEN 16 DEATHS CONFIRMED ASSOCIATED WITH THE EATON FIRE, AND THE HURST FIRE IS JUST UNDER 800 ACRES IN SIZE. IT IS 89% CONTAINED. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE STILL UNDER EVACUATION ORDERS BECAUSE OF THE PALISADES AND EATON FIRES. THAT’S THE EVACUATION MAP RIGHT THERE. THE RED AREAS ARE MANDATORY EVACUATIONS. YELLOW IS EVACUATION WARNINGS AND EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE EXPANDED FOR THE PALISADES FIRE AS IT HAS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST. AND TODAY, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE EATON FIRE. LAST NIGHT, FIRE OFFICIALS HELD COMMUNITY MEETINGS FOR BOTH THE PALISADES AND EATON FIRES TO UPDATE RESIDENTS, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS RECOVERY. HUNDREDS GATHERED AT PASADENA CITY COLLEGE FOR THE EATON FIRE MEETING. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS EVENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET UP THERE AND YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EXPECT TO SEE DESTRUCTION, BUT THEY ACTUALLY SEE DEVASTATION. IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. AND SO YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE CITY OF PASADENA, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, WORKING WITH THE STATE AND WORKING WITH OUR NATIONAL LEADERS, WILL DO ALL THAT IT CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE WE DO REBUILD. TODAY’S MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL. IT HAPPENS AT 4:00 AND WILL BE STREAMED LIVE ON YOUTUBE FROM THE L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT’S YOUTUBE PAGE. FIRE OFFICIALS WILL UPDATE THE CURRENT FIRE SITUATION. AND OF COURSE, ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY’LL BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE RETURN OF THE SANTA ANA WINDS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. KELLY CURRAN JOINS US NOW FROM THE WEATHER CENTER WITH A LOOK AT HOW STRONG THEY’RE LIKELY TO GET. GOOD MORNING. YEAH. ANOTHER PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. RED FLAG WARNING. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH HERE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. SO YOU SEE THE AREAS SHADED IN RED. THAT’S WHERE WE HAVE THOSE RED FLAG WARNINGS. AND OF COURSE IT INCLUDES PARTS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY WHERE THE PALISADES FIRE AND THE EATON FIRE ARE BOTH BURNING. ALSO, VENTURA COUNTY AND DOWN INTO ORANGE COUNTY, TOO. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING 50 PLUS MILES PER HOUR. AND AS YOU GET UP INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN, WE COULD SEE GUSTS AS HIGH AS 70MPH. RIGHT NOW, OXNARD, HIDDEN HILLS ALREADY SEEING SOME OF THOSE BREEZES, THE RIVERSIDE AREA AS WELL. AND AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT FUTURECAST NOW, THESE ARE THE WIND GUSTS THAT WE’RE EXPECTING AS WE HEAD LATER INTO TODAY. WE’RE GOING TO SEE WINDS GUSTING UP TO 30 43MPH IN PARTS OF VENTURA COUNTY. CALABASAS, ABOUT 22MPH, DIES DOWN A LITTLE BIT MONDAY EVENING, BUT THEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WE REALLY GET TO SEE THOSE WINDS FIRE UP AGAIN. IN FACT, HERE WE ARE 630 IN THE MORNING ON TUESDAY, 43 MILE PER HOUR WIND GUSTS EXPECTED IN THE PALISADES PASADENA AREA. EVEN AS WE GET INTO TUESDAY NIGHT, GUYS, WE’RE LOOKING AT WINDS GUSTING 40 50MPH, WHICH CERTAINLY IS NOT WHAT THOSE FIREFIGHTERS WANT TO SEE. ALL RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE THAT, KELLY. THANK YOU. MEANWHILE, TODAY REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING FOR A SPECIAL SESSION AS THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES ARE IMPACTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS CALIFORNIA. ERIN HEFT LIVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL THIS MORNING WITH WHAT THEY’RE SAYING. GOOD MORNING. THIS NOT JUST INVOLVING THE WILDFIRES, BUT THE SUBSEQUENT INSURANCE CRISIS, THEY SAY IS NOW AFOOT. THOSE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SENDING A LETTER TO GAVIN NEWSOM CALLING FOR A SPECIAL SESSION. NOW, LET’S READ YOU WHAT’S IN THAT LETTER. IN THE LETTER, REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HIGHLIGHTING THE URGENT NEED TO SAFEGUARD OUR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES WHILE STABILIZING THE INSURANCE MARKET AND IMPLEMENTING PREVENTION MEASURES AGAINST THESE MASSIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES, EMPHASIZING WHAT THEY CALL THE UNPRECEDENTED NATURE OF THE CRISIS. CRISIS AT HAND. WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THE REQUIRED RESPONSE, PUTTING A STRAIN NOT ONLY ACROSS CALIFORNIA BUT THE NATION AND BEYOND. SO LET’S GET TO THOSE SIX PRIORITIES FOR THE SESSION. THEY SAID, QUOTE, OR NOT, QUOTE. EXCUSE ME? THE FIRST BULLET EXPEDITING PERMITTING FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION PROJECTS. AND THAT REALLY MEANS FAST TRACKING CRITICAL MEASURES LIKE CONTROLLED BURNS AND POST-FIRE MITIGATION RISKS. THE NEXT IS STREAMLINING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS FOR FIRE SAFETY INITIATIVES, ENHANCE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR FIRE RELATED CRIMES, INCENTIVIZING HARDENING OF HOMES, INCREASED WILDFIRE PREVENTION FUNDING, AND LASTLY, HAVE INSURANCE MARKET TRANSPARENCY AND INSURANCE REFORM. BACK OUT HERE LIVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL. THIS TURNING SOME HEADS BECAUSE OF AS OF LAST WEEK, THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK AFTER A CALLED SPECIAL SESSION ON THE COMING PRESIDENT ELECT. WHILE THESE DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES THEY STARTED TO BURN AND CONTINUED TO BURN. NOW THE LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICANS SAYING, QUOTE, THEY ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CALIFORNIANS WITH THE TOOLS AND POLICIES NEEDED TO BOTH REBUILD AND RECOVER AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL. ERIN HEFT KCRA THREE NEWS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, ERIN. A NEWS CONFERENCE, BY THE WAY, IS SCHEDULED ON THE WEST STEPS OF THE CAPITOL THIS AFTERNOON AT 2:00. HELP IS ALSO COMING FROM THE NATION’S CAPITAL. MIKE CHERRY. JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING. SO WHILE LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL CONSIDER ACTION TO HELP WITH REBUILDING, THE WHITE HOUSE IS DOLING OUT MORE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED. A WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE HAVE REGISTERED FOR THE AID. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS COVERING 100% OF DISASTER RESPONSE COSTS LIKE DEBRIS REMOVAL AND SETTING UP SHELTERS. THE WHITE HOUSE DOES PLAN ON ASKING CONGRESS FOR MORE MONEY AND HELP FEDERAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS ON THE FIREFIGHTING FRONT. FEDERAL AND STATE OFFICIALS ARE ALSO PROMISING ACTION TO FAST TRACK REBUILDING, SUSPENDING REGULATIONS AND WORKING WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES. INSURANCE CARRIERS. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY TO HELP FIND WAYS TO TO KEEP THIS REALLY VALUABLE RESOURCE IN PLACE FOR SO MANY FAMILIES. THERE CAN’T BE A BLANK CHECK ON THIS, HOWEVER, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS REBUILDING OCCURS, AS THINGS GO ON IN CALIFORNIA, THEY HAVE TO BE RESILIENT SO THAT THESE SORTS OF THINGS CAN’T HAPPEN AGAIN. AND THE POLICIES OF THE LIBERAL ADMINISTRATION OUT THERE, I BELIEVE, HAVE MADE THESE FIRES WORSE. PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING DAILY BRIEFINGS AND HOLDING MEETINGS TO COORDINATE THAT FEDERAL RESPONSE. DEIRDRE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP HAS RECEIVED HIS SECOND INVITATION THIS WEEKEND TO VISIT CALIFORNIA’S WILDFIRE VICTIMS. THE L.A. COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIR KATHRYN BARGER WROTE AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INCOMING PRESIDENT IMPLORING HIM TO STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. TRUMP ALSO RECEIVED AN INVITATION FROM GOVERNOR NEWSOM ON FRIDAY. THERE HAS BEEN NO WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT ELECT. HOWEVER, ON ACCEPTING THOSE INVITATIONS, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES, BOTH ON AIR AND ONLINE, AND OUR APP. MAKE SURE TO TURN ON PUSH ALERTS TO GET THE LATEST INFORMATION. NOW, IF YOU DO WANT TO HELP THE FIRE VICTIMS, YOU CAN SCAN THIS QR CODE. IT’S VERY EASY RIGHT THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. BY THE WAY, WE ARE TEAMING UP WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TO HELP PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE WILDFIRES. YOUR DONATION WILL SUPPORT THE VICTIM
Lawsuit claims utility’s equipment sparked devastating Eaton Fire, but investigation still ongoing
Updated: 4:37 PM EST Jan 13, 2025
A lawsuit filed Monday against Southern California Edison claims the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire burning just outside Los Angeles and Edison has acknowledged fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller L.A.-area fire that broke out the same day.Edison said in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission that “a downed conductor was discovered at a tower” near the start of the Hurst Fire that broke out in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sylmar. But the utility added it “does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire.” That fire burned more than a square mile and is now mostly contained.Authorities haven’t determined an official cause for either fire. Wildfires that began last Tuesday amid hurricane-force winds have killed at least 24 people across the Los Angeles area.Firefighters are still battling to contain the Eaton Fire that broke out near Pasadena, destroying at least 7,000 homes and other structures and laying waste to entire neighborhoods. Attorneys representing a homeowner who lost their home said Monday that it is their belief that Edison’s equipment caused the fire. Video taken during the fire’s early minutes show a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers.“There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by Defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison,” the complaint states.Edison did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.Last week, Edison filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission related to the Eaton Fire that said it has not received any suggestions that its equipment was involved in the ignition of that fire. Edison said it filed the report with state utilities regulators out of “an abundance of caution” after receiving evidence preservation notices from insurance company lawyers.“Preliminary analysis by SCE of electrical circuit information for the energized transmission lines going through the area for 12 hours prior to the reported start time of the fire shows no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire,” the utility reported.
A lawsuit filed Monday against Southern California Edison claims the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire burning just outside Los Angeles and Edison has acknowledged fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller L.A.-area fire that broke out the same day.
Edison said in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission that “a downed conductor was discovered at a tower” near the start of the Hurst Fire that broke out in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sylmar. But the utility added it “does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the start of the fire.” That fire burned more than a square mile and is now mostly contained.
Authorities haven’t determined an official cause for either fire. Wildfires that began last Tuesday amid hurricane-force winds have killed at least 24 people across the Los Angeles area.
Firefighters are still battling to contain the Eaton Fire that broke out near Pasadena, destroying at least 7,000 homes and other structures and laying waste to entire neighborhoods. Attorneys representing a homeowner who lost their home said Monday that it is their belief that Edison’s equipment caused the fire. Video taken during the fire’s early minutes show a large blaze directly beneath electrical towers.
“There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by Defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison,” the complaint states.
Edison did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Last week, Edison filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission related to the Eaton Fire that said it has not received any suggestions that its equipment was involved in the ignition of that fire. Edison said it filed the report with state utilities regulators out of “an abundance of caution” after receiving evidence preservation notices from insurance company lawyers.
“Preliminary analysis by SCE of electrical circuit information for the energized transmission lines going through the area for 12 hours prior to the reported start time of the fire shows no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire,” the utility reported.
