as deadly wildfires keep the anger going In Los Angeles, lawyers representing those affected are going to court, with multiple lawsuits filed alleging negligence by at least two public utilities in Southern California.
Southern California Edison is accused Failure to maintain power lines and other devices, allegedly helping fuel the 14,000-acre Eaton fire that destroyed an Altadena neighborhood before spreading to other communities, according to a trial Filed by McNicholas & McNicholas, Baker Law Group and Singleton Schreiber.
Patrick McNicholas, an attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas, said, “This goes far beyond a failure of responsibility; it is gross negligence in an area highly vulnerable to wildfire, especially with well-documented weather alerts and high wind risk. with.” “We are committed to holding Southern California Edison accountable for their alleged negligence and seeking justice for the victims who lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.”
in one incident report In a message sent to the California Public Utilities Commission, SoCal Edison refuted claims that its equipment started the fire, saying “there were no outages or electrical or operational anomalies for more than an hour after the alleged time of the fire.” “
“To date, no fire agency has suggested that SCE's electrical facilities were involved in the ignition or requested the removal and retention of any SCE equipment,” SoCal Edison wrote in its report.
A spokesperson for Southern said, “SCE understands that a lawsuit has been filed related to the Eaton fire, but has not yet been served with the complaint. SCE will review the complaint when it receives it. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.” California Edison.
Additionally, in a statement last week, SoCal Edison Said As part of the public safety power shutoff program, distribution lines immediately west of Eaton Canyon were “de-energized well in advance of the reported start time of the fire”.
“Our hearts are with our communities during the devastating wildfires in Southern California and we are committed to supporting them during this difficult time,” a SoCal Edison spokesperson said.
Pacific Palisades
Separately, more than a dozen victims of the Pacific Palisades wildfire – the most destructive fire in L.A. history – are suing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), alleging water supply failures. Due to damage caused by fire.
The complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of residents of the affected area and a pizzeria owner against LADWP says the nation's largest municipal utility should have held water in the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which His argument regarding this was that it was lying vacant for almost a year. Year.
“Pacific Palisades' water supply system failed catastrophically, leaving residents and firefighters with little or no water to fight the fire,” Roger Behle, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, said in a statement Tuesday. statement,
Defending the water system, LADWP cited “unprecedented and excessive water demands to fight wildfires without air support” for the lack of water pressure. Some hydrants at higher elevations were affected, but the utility “immediately deployed water tankers” to support firefighting efforts.
LADWP is launching its own investigation into “how we can enhance our posture to respond to water resiliency and the impacts of climate change,” the utility said in a statement. statement,
As of Wednesday afternoon, there have been at least one death toll from the fire across the L.A. area 25 peopleDestroyed more than 12,000 structures and burned more than 60 square miles. The largest ever – the Palisades and eaton Forest fire Officials said the fire continues out of control.