SoCal Edison files lawsuit over Eaton Fire, alleging LA County, other utilities are also to blame

Southern California Edison, which already faces nearly 1,000 lawsuits over the deadly Eaton Fire, filed new lawsuits Friday, accusing Los Angeles County, local water agencies and the Southern California Gas Company of failures that 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 lawsuit against SoCalGas.

The Eaton Fire broke out on January 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,400 homes and other structures. It burned more than 14,000 acres before being completely contained later that month.

SoCal Edison acknowledged that circumstantial evidence suggests one of its unused power lines may have sparked the fire during extreme winds exceeding 100 mph. The official cause remains under investigation by Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

In its new documents, SoCal Edison says the damage could have been reduced.

According to court documents, SoCal Edison alleges that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send evacuation warnings in a timely manner. Residents in eastern Altadena received their first alert about 30 minutes after the fire started, the company says.

In west Altadena, evacuation warnings were not issued until 3:25 a.m. the next morning, according to SoCal Edison. In total, 18 of the 19 people who died in the fire lived west of Altadena.

Edison also says 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 simmer a year later as homeowners struggle to rebuild

For 24 days, flames from the Eaton Fire burned in Altadena and Pasadena. A year later, his scars are still raw and his victims are still suffering.

In a separate court filing, SoCal Edison blames SoCalGas, alleging the gas utility didn’t begin widespread outages until four days after the fire started. SoCal Edison says gas leaks and gas-fueled fires helped fuel the fire.

SoCalGas said it is reviewing the complaint and will respond through the legal process. The company provided the following statement:

“SoCalGas continues to support our customers and communities who are still recovering from last year’s devastating wildfires. Since January 7, 2025, SoCalGas has worked diligently, in close coordination with local and state authorities, 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 respond through the legal process.

Pasadena officials have rejected SoCal Edison’s claims, saying the city believes SoCal Edison equipment caused the fire. The city provided the following statement:

“The City recently received and is reviewing the cross-complaint filed this afternoon by Southern California Edison Company and Edison International. Trial evidence showed that Edison’s equipment caused 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 caused. Pasadena continues to prioritize rebuilding and to a safe 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 the scheduled start. Instead, they sent the following statement:

“These legal actions constitute a standard legal procedure that allows the court to fully consider all potential contributing factors and responsible parties. Southern California Edison remains committed to the communities affected by 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 also sued the company for damage to national forest lands.

The utility also launched a voluntary compensation program for victims who agree not to sue. Nearly 2,000 families filed claims and SoCal Edison offered $42.8 million in settlement offers, the company said.