SoCal Edison lawsuits claim series of missteps made Eaton Fire more deadly

ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Southern California Edison has filed lawsuits accusing Los Angeles County, local water agencies and the Southern California Gas Company of a series of missteps that the utility says made last year’s Eaton Fire more deadly.

The utility filed cross-complaints in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday against Los Angeles County, Pasadena Water and Power and five other water agencies, KABC-TV reported. SoCal Edison also filed a separate court complaint against SoCalGas.

The fire that ignited on Jan. 7, 2025, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures. It took firefighters nearly a month to extinguish the blaze, which scorched 22 square miles (57 square kilometers).

The cause remains under investigation, but evidence suggests one of the utility’s idled power lines might have sparked the fire.

SoCal Edison claims in the lawsuits that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents in east and west Altadena. Eighteen of the 19 people who died in the fire lived in west Altadena.

Los Angeles County declined to comment about the latest court filings.

The utility also claims water agencies, including Pasadena Water and Power, did not provide enough water as the fire spread, leaving firefighters with limited resources.

In a separate court filing, SoCal Edison blames SoCalGas, claiming the gas utility did not begin widespread shutoffs until four days after the fire started. SoCal Edison says gas leaks and gas-fed fires helped fuel the blaze.

SoCalGas said it is reviewing the complaint and will respond through the judicial process. Meanwhile, Pasadena officials rejected SoCal Edison’s claims, saying the city believes the utility’s equipment caused the fire.

SoCal Edison is facing 998 lawsuits from fire victims, insurers and government entities. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued the company over damage to National Forest land.