Attorneys representing residents of Altadena, California, who lost their homes in the recent Eaton fire are seeking legal action against Southern California Edison (SCE). They allege that the utility company may have compromised critical evidence regarding the fire’s origin by secretly re-energizing transmission lines after the blaze began.
In a motion filed by the law firm Edelson PC, the attorneys claim SCE violated a temporary restraining order aimed at preserving evidence related to the fire. According to the motion, SCE made promises not to interfere with the transmission lines in Eaton Canyon, yet proceeded to re-energize them on January 19, nearly two weeks after the fire ignited on January 7. The attorneys argue that this action could have altered key evidence needed to determine how the fire started.
SCE has contested these allegations, asserting that it informed the plaintiffs’ attorneys prior to re-energizing the lines and before any court ruling on the restraining order. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Edison, expressed disappointment over the accusations, stating, “We have and will continue to preserve relevant evidence.”
The timeline of events reveals that after the Eaton fire began, SCE initially de-energized the transmission lines but later re-energized them briefly before shutting them down again on January 12. Following the fire’s outbreak, several Altadena homeowners filed a lawsuit against SCE, requesting a court order to ensure the preservation of potential evidence.
On January 17, SCE communicated to the plaintiffs’ attorneys that workers would be cleaning fire retardant from the transmission towers and emphasized the need to re-energize the lines for the safety of approximately 50,000 residents. However, two days later, on January 19, while under scrutiny, the utility turned the power back on, resulting in visible flashes of light from the transmission lines. This incident raised alarms for the homeowners, who fear that the re-energization could have affected the investigation into the fire’s cause.
The attorneys argue that the white flashes observed during the re-energization may indicate electrical issues that could link SCE’s equipment to the fire. They point out that SCE had previously detected a fault in the Eagle Rock-Gould line on the day the fire started, which contributed to increased current flow across the transmission lines.
In light of these developments, the attorneys are demanding SCE provide comprehensive documentation, including video footage, photographs, and data related to the January 19 incident. They argue that the lack of timely disclosure from the utility raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the ongoing investigation.
As the legal battle unfolds, tensions continue to rise between the Altadena residents and Southern California Edison, with the implications of the fire and its causes remaining a critical issue for both the community and the utility company.