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ALTADENA, Calif. () — Southern California Edison, which is already facing nearly 1,000 lawsuits over the deadly Eaton Fire, filed new court actions on Friday accusing Los Angeles County, local water agencies and Southern California Gas Company of failures it says made the fire more deadly.
The utility filed cross-complaints in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming Los Angeles County, Pasadena Water and Power and five other water agencies. SoCal Edison also filed a separate court complaint against SoCalGas.
The Eaton Fire broke out Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,400 homes and other structures. It burned more than 14,000 acres before being fully contained later that month.
SoCal Edison has acknowledged that circumstantial evidence suggests one of its idled power lines may have ignited the fire during extreme winds that exceeded 100 mph. The official cause remains under investigation by Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
In its new filings, SoCal Edison argues the devastation could have been reduced.
According to court documents, SoCal Edison alleges Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings. Residents in east Altadena received their first alert about 30 minutes after the fire began, the company says.
In west Altadena, evacuation warnings were not issued until 3:25 a.m. the following morning, according to SoCal Edison. In total — 18 out of the 19 people who died in the fire lived in west Altadena.
Edison also claims water agencies, including Pasadena Water and Power, failed to provide enough water as the fire spread, leaving firefighters with limited resources.
RELATED: Eaton Fire frustrations still smolder one year later as homeowners struggle to rebuild
For 24 days, the flames of the Eaton Fire burned in Altadena and Pasadena. One year later, its scars are still raw and its victims are still suffering.
In a separate court filing, SoCal Edison blames SoCalGas, alleging the gas utility did not begin widespread shutoffs until four days after the fire started. SoCal Edison says gas leaks and gas-fed fires helped fuel the blaze.
SoCalGas said it is reviewing the complaint and will respond through the judicial process. The company provided the following statement:
“SoCalGas continues to support our customers and communities still recovering from last year’s devastating fires. Since January 7, 2025, SoCalGas has worked diligently, in close coordination with local and state officials, to assess the impacts of the fires on SoCalGas’ infrastructure, make necessary repairs, and safely restore service to thousands of customers. We will carefully review the complaint and will respond through the judicial process.”
Pasadena officials rejected SoCal Edison’s claims, saying the city believes SoCal Edison’s equipment caused the fire. The city provided the following statement:
“The City recently received and is reviewing the cross complaint Southern California Edison Company and Edison International filed this afternoon. Evidence from the lawsuit has shown Edison’s equipment to be the cause of the catastrophic Eaton Fire that began on January 7, 2025 and devastated our community. Today’s cross complaint does not change that fact and Edison should accept responsibility for the extensive damage it has caused. Pasadena continues to prioritize safe rebuilding and recovery.”
Los Angeles County declined to comment.
SoCal Edison initially agreed to a one-on-one interview with Eyewitness News on Saturday but canceled 30 minutes before it was scheduled to start. Instead, they sent the following statement:
“These legal actions are a standard legal process that allows the court to fully examine all potential contributing factors and responsible parties. Southern California Edisonremainscommitted to the communitiesimpactedby the January fires and to supporting their recovery.”
SoCal Edison faces 998 lawsuits from fire victims, insurers and government entities. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued the company over damage to National Forest lands.
The utility has also launched a voluntary compensation program for victims who agree not to sue. Nearly 2,000 families have filed claims, and SoCal Edison has extended $42.8 million in settlement offers, the company said.
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