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"Photogrammetry" video displays flames from the Eaton Fire under SoCalEdison power lines, according to attorneys representing fire victims. | Photo courtesy of LA Fire Justice
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Altadena homeowners have sued Southern California Edison Corp., claiming the utility’s equipment ignited the devastating Eaton Fire, their attorneys announced Tuesday.
Plaintiffs Walt Butler, Luis Gonzalez and Denise Diaz Gonzalez lost their homes in the wind-fueled wildfire last month that caused 17 deaths, charred over 14,000 and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, many of them residences.
Attorneys from the Law Office of Douglas Boxer and the Watts Law Firm in association with the advocacy organization LA Fire Justice filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against SoCalEdison and its parent corporation Edison International.
“In my career, I’ve worked on twenty-two wildfires, representing 21,000 fire survivors in six different states,” attorney Mikal Watts said in a statement. “This is the clearest evidence that I’ve ever seen of utilities’ equipment being the start of a fire.”
LA Fire Justice’s team of wildfire investigators, fire origin and causation experts and digital mappers used the “photogrammetry” technique to make a 3D model of Eaton Canyon in an attempt to find the blaze’s exact point of origin, according to the organization. Photogrammetry “takes videos obtained from surveillance footage and witnesses, and stitches them together to recreate the canyon’s shape and details in an exact digital model.”
Edison spokeswoman Kathleen Dunleavy said, “Our hearts go out to everyone in Southern California impacted by these wildfires. We do not know what caused the Eaton Fire, and our investigation is still in the early stages. It is disappointing plaintiffs’ attorneys choose to first go to media when they should be sharing information with authorities. Our investigation into all possible involvement of SCE equipment continues.”
LA Fire Justice provided an online video that details how its team created the 3D model.
According to the group, its attorneys and researchers waited until the video analysis was completed and they were “certain of the origin of the fire before filing the lawsuit.
Butler was LA Fire Justice’s first client and “has been the heart and soul” of the Altadena-Pasadena community for decades, according to the organization.
“Known for his unwavering dedication to the community, he built a legacy through his beloved shoe store and endless support for local youth,” the statement said.
A social media post by Butler describing his loss as a result of the fire went viral, garnering 17 million views and inspiring a large show of support. Butler’s GoFundMe account has received more than $900,000, which he has vowed to use to help the community.
Denise Diaz Gonzalez and Luis Gonzalez lost their recently purchased home in the Eaton Fire.
The couple was drawn to Altadena’s close-knit community, vibrant history and rich traditions when they purchased their house that was completely lost in the blaze, according to LA Fire Justice. Denise serves on the Los Angeles County Women’s Commission, and Luis works in philanthropy.
LA Fire Justice also noted that the organization has taken out a five-year lease on an office in Pasadena, and hired 10 local staff to work full-time on community engagement with plans to hire more. The objective “is to partner with families and communities in their recovery, providing guidance, pursuing accountability, and securing the financial recovery needed to rebuild,” according to the statement.
The group plans to host weekly events providing information on insurance, income loss, mental health and other disaster-recovery topics.
“We care deeply about our work and the communities we serve,” attorney Doug Boxersaid in a statement. “We understand that no one is more qualified than those at the heart of impacted neighborhoods and that is why our local office is staffed with folks from these communities.”
LA Fire Justice attorneys initially released video purporting to show the Eaton Fire’s origin last week.
For residents affected by the Eaton fires, the organization has scheduled two town-hall meetings with consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, Boxer and Watts. The free meetings will be at the Pasadena Masonic Center, 200 S. Euclid Ave., on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 8 at 10 a.m.
A number of other lawsuits have been filed against Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment was responsible for the Eaton Fire.
