Southern California Edison Hit with Lawsuits Over Los Angeles Wildfires
Southern California Edison Hit with Lawsuits Over Los Angeles Wildfires
According to legal documents, Southern California Edison, a division of Edison International (EIX.N), was faced with several lawsuits on Monday alleging that its electrical equipment triggered one of the significant wildfires currently affecting the Los Angeles region.
These lawsuits are the first of hundreds or even thousands that may result from the wildfires that have swept through parts of Southern California over the past week.
The legal actions were submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of property owners, tenants, business operators, and others whose properties were damaged by the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area.
At least 24 individuals have lost their lives since the fires began the previous Tuesday, and more than 90,000 residents have been compelled to evacuate their homes. Authorities have indicated that more than two dozen people are currently unaccounted for.
The Eaton Fire, located in the foothills east of Los Angeles, has burned approximately 14,117 acres (57 sq km) or 22 square miles, nearly the same area as Manhattan. According to one of the lawsuits, this fire ranks as the second most destructive blaze in California’s history.
In one specific lawsuit, several eyewitnesses are mentioned as having seen flames at the base of a transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison (SCE).
Some witnesses posted videos of the event on their social media platforms, including an Instagram user @jeffrey.ku, who shared a video showing a fire at the base of a transmission tower claimed to have been recorded shortly after the Eaton Fire ignited.
The complaint also referenced Brendan Thorn, who spoke with local ABC News. Thorn noted in the interview that he resides near Eaton Canyon and observed “knee-high” flames around the transmission towers shortly after the fire started.
Southern California Edison (SCE) did not provide an immediate comment to a Reuters inquiry regarding the lawsuits.
During a TV interview on Monday morning, the company’s CEO stated that they were still investigating the fires and had not yet detected any electrical issues with its equipment around the time the Eaton Fire erupted.
“It’s quite common to observe those when equipment produces a spark,” Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro said during a CNBC interview on Monday morning when questioned about the company’s inquiry into the Eaton Fire.
“There may be another cause here. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to approach the lines,” he remarked.
Edison International’s stock fell nearly 12% to $57.24 on Monday. Since the fires began the previous week, their shares have dropped by about 27%.
On January 9 and 10, SCE submitted safety incident reports concerning the Eaton and Hurst fires, respectively.
SCE mentioned that it has received notifications from insurance providers to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire. The company added that the fire could potentially be linked to its utility operations, prompting the release of its January 9 report.
It also stated that no fire agency had indicated that its electrical facilities were involved in igniting the fires.
However, in the subsequent Hurst report, the company acknowledged the discovery of a downed conductor in the vicinity. Still, it was uncertain whether the damage occurred before or after the fire ignited.
Source: Reuters
umer
1 thought on “Southern California Edison Hit with Lawsuits Over Los Angeles Wildfires”