Southern California Edison sued Los Angeles County, water agencies and two companies including SoCalGas on Friday, saying their mistakes contributed to the deadly and destructive toll of last year\u2019s Eaton wildfire.<\/p>\n
Edison now faces hundreds of lawsuits by victims of the fire, which claim its transmission line started the devastating fire that killed at least 19 people and destroyed thousands of homes in Altadena. The cost of settling those lawsuits could be many billions of dollars.<\/p>\n
Doug Dixon, an attorney who represents Edison in the fire litigation, told The Times that Edison filed the lawsuits \u201cto ensure that all those who bear responsibility are at the table in this legal process.\u201d<\/p>\n
The utility\u2019s two legal filings in L.A. County Superior Court paint a picture of sweeping mismanagement of the emergency response on the night of the fire.<\/p>\n
Edison blames the county fire department, sheriff\u2019s department and office of emergency management for their failure to warn Altadena residents west of Lake Avenue to evacuate.<\/p>\n
The Times revealed last January<\/a> that west Altadena never received evacuation warnings, and orders to evacuate came hours after flames and smoke threatened the community. All but one of the 19 who died in the Eaton fire were found in west Altadena.<\/p>\n Edison also sued L.A. County for failing to send fire trucks to the community. A Times investigation <\/a>found that during a critical moment in the fire, only one county fire truck was west of Lake Avenue.<\/p>\n The electric company also filed suit against six water agencies, including Pasadena Water & Power, claiming there were insufficient water supplies available for firefighters.<\/p>\n \u201cCompounding the unfolding disaster, the water systems servicing the areas impacted by the Eaton Fire failed as the fire spread, leaving firefighters and residents with no water to fight the fire,\u201d the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n Another lawsuit aims at SoCalGas. Edison says the company failed to turn off gas lines after the fire started, making the disaster worse.<\/p>\n \u201cSoCalGas did not begin widespread shutoffs for four days \u2014 until January 11, 2025 \u2014 in the area affected by the Eaton Fire,\u201d the complaint states. \u201cIn the meantime, the Eaton Fire continued to spread fueled by natural gas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe risks and deficiencies with SoCalGas\u2019s system that led to it spreading the fire were long known to SoCalGas, and yet it nevertheless failed to adequately account for them in designing, building, and maintaining its system,\u201d the complaint said. \u201cThe result was catastrophic.\u201d<\/p>\n Edison also sued Genasys, a company that provides the county with emergency alert software.<\/p>\n In addition, the utility sued the county for failing to remove brush, which it claims made the fire hotter and spread faster, causing more damage.<\/p>\n An L.A. County spokesperson said Friday that the county had no comment on the lawsuit.<\/p>\n Chris Gilbride, a spokesperson for SoCalGas, said the company would review the complaint and respond in court.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Jan. 7, 2025, SoCalGas has worked diligently, in close coordination with local and state officials, to assess the impacts of the fires on SoCalGas\u2019 infrastructure, make necessary repairs, and safely restore service to thousands of customers,\u201d Gilbride said.<\/p>\n Lisa Derderian, a spokesperson for the City of Pasadena, said court evidence shows Edison\u2019s equipment caused the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s cross complaint does not change that fact and Edison should accept responsibility for the extensive damage it has caused,\u201d she said. \u201cPasadena continues to prioritize safe rebuilding and recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials from the water agencies and Genasys could not be immediately reached.<\/p>\n