Video evidence was released this week purporting that a malfunction in Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment was the source of the Eaton Fire. Attorneys maintain the power company is responsible for the wildfire that erupted during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 7, resulting in over 14,000 acres burned, 9,418 structures destroyed and at least 17 lives lost in the community of Altadena.
The video, captured by a surveillance camera at a nearby Arco gas station, shows flames igniting on the dry hillside at the base of an Edison transmission tower, minutes after flashes of blue and white light appear to have sparked up the tower.
Over the past few weeks, nearby residents have shared videos and photos of large flames at the structure’s base just after the fire started around 6 p.m. on Jan. 7.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is still investigating all the major fires in the area, and the cause of the Eaton Fire has yet to be officially determined.
However, a series of lawsuits have already been filed against the utility company, alleging that Edison’s equipment was responsible for the fire.
“Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time,” Edison officials said in response when the first lawsuits were filed on Jan. 13.
Edelson PC, one of the many law firms suing the electrical company, released the video on Sunday, claiming it shows blue arcing from the transmission tower.
Edison officials previously stated they do not believe their electrical equipment was responsible for the fire, and that inspections showed no signs of arcing or power anomalies. However, attorneys who have conducted investigations of the electrical infrastructure, report otherwise.
“This is my 22nd wildfire. I represented 21,000 fire survivors in six different states,” said Mikal Watts, an attorney with LA Fire Justice, a self-defined legal and advocacy group. “This is the clearest evidence that I’ve ever seen of utility equipment being the start of a fire.”
LA Fire Justice – led by Watts, attorney Douglas Boxer, who is the son of United States Senator Barbara Boxer, and consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, made famous for her story in the film “Erin Brockovich” that featured her battle with Pacific Gas and Electrical Company (PG&E) – said they will begin filing lawsuits against SCE this week.
With the loss of thousands of homes, the cost of the recent fire is suspected to be in the billions. If SCE’s equipment is found to be responsible for the fire, it could prove a phenomenal cost for the company.
Edison previously stated that transmission lines on the east side of Eaton Canyon were still energized the night the fire erupted, although distribution lines on the west side were powered off. SCE chief executive Steven Powell told the Los Angeles Times that the winds were under 60 mph, and were not considered strong enough to warrant de-energizing the transmission line. However, the National Weather Service recorded wind gusts in the nearby area of up to 70 mph.
Last week, Edison alleged that an encampment around 300 yards downhill and downwind of the transmission tower may have been the source of the fire. But attorneys suing the company called this preposterous.
“The human encampment theory just has no merit. … Wrong location, wrong elevation, wrong wind direction and just not backed up by the science,” said Watts. “This is what, in my business, we call a red herring.”
Watts said the Eaton Fire is indicative of a systemic problem in the utility company’s infrastructure. Edison, he said, is a repeat offender who should be held accountable for all damage caused by the inferno under California’s Inverse Condemnation Law.
“There’s an entire community that was leveled by Southern California Edison’s equipment. It did not have to happen. It should not have happened,” said Watts. “What we’re seeing repetitively is utility organizations that fail to improve the grid, fail to inspect the grid. The grid has a failure that provides the spark, which burns down entire towns.”