Los Angeles County and the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre on Wednesday sued Southern California Edison on allegations that the utility’s equipment caused the Eaton Fire that killed 17 people, burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 9,400 structures.
The lawsuits seek to recover public funds spent on responding and recovering from the wildfire, which started during an intense windstorm Jan. 7.
Pasadena’s suit alleges the blaze damaged the police department training facility, the Pasadena Municipal Assistance, Solutions, and Hiring building and fleet as well as city-owned tanks for water storage.
In unincorporated Altadena, the fire destroyed county parks, a nature center, multiple trails and other community infrastructure, officials said.
Sierra Madre’s lawsuit claims the blaze destroyed or damaged many city landmarks, such as the Sierra Madre Historical Wilderness Area and the Mount Wilson Trail.
“The county’s complaint against SCE alleges that witnesses, photos, and videos indicate the fire started directly under SCE transmission lines in Eaton Canyon,” county officials said in a statement. “After the fire started, SCE informed the California Public Utilities Commission that a ‘fault’ occurred on its transmission line around the time the fire started.”
The lawsuits cite a Feb. 6 SCE letter to the CPUC reporting that photographic evidence of the utility’s tower at the end of the idle Mesa-Sylmar transmission line showed signs of potential arcing and damage to the grounding equipment for two of the three idle conductors.
Pasadena’s lawsuit notes that weather forecasts in the days prior to the fire had repeatedly warned of extreme fire danger, with the National Weather Service issuing progressively stronger advisories culminating in a Red Flag Warning on the morning of January 7, 2025 when winds reached extreme levels.
“The destruction of public facilities essential to Pasadena’s operations requires significant investment to restore and rebuild,” Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said in a statement. “While our restoration efforts continue, we have a responsibility to pursue appropriate compensation for the costs of rebuilding the public infrastructure our community relies upon.”
An SCE spokesperson said, “Our hearts are with the communities affected by the wildfires in Southern California,” an SCE spokesperson said. “We are reviewing the lawsuits that were recently filed and will address them through the appropriate legal process. This investigation is still underway, and it will take time and require very specific expertise. We are reviewing all available information to determine the cause of fire.”
SCE is currently facing several lawsuits by residents that fault the utility for sparking the devastating wildfire.
“While we do not yet know what caused the Eaton wildfire, SCE is exploring every possibility in its investigation, including the possibility that SCE’s equipment was involved,” Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of SCE’s parent company Edison International, said in a statement last month. “We have been fully engaged since the start of the fires in supporting the broader emergency response, containment, recovery and investigation efforts.”
SCE officials said its investigation into the fire’s cause was likely to take several more months.
“We are working with the local communities SCE serves to rebuild and emerge stronger,” Pizzaro said. “We understand the community wants answers, and we remain committed to a thorough and transparent investigation.”
The Eaton Fire caused at least 17 deaths, destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged 1,073 more while burning 14,021 acres.
“Our focus remains on the full restoration of services to Pasadena residents and businesses,” Derderian said. “By working collaboratively with neighboring jurisdictions, we can more effectively address the devastating impacts this fire has had on our communities while ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”
According to the county, costs from the Eaton Fire and its aftermath will total at least hundreds of millions of dollars. County Counsel Dawyn Harrison, who filed the lawsuit, said the costs and losses being sought include compensation for destroyed county infrastructure, recreational areas, parks, road damage, cleanup and recovery efforts, flood and mudslide prevention, workers compensation claims, overtime for county workers, lost taxes and other fire-related expenses.
“We are committed to seeking justice for the Altadena community and the taxpayers of Los Angeles County,” Harrison said in a statement.
The county’s court filing is available for viewing online.
