Insured losses from the Eaton Fire are estimated to be between $8 billion and $10 billion. (Credit: Amanda Bronstad/ALM)
A new video shows electrical sparking at a utility transmission tower just before the start of LA’s Eaton Fire, and a lawsuit alleges the sparks are what caused the blaze.
The video, taken from a gas station security camera, was released by Edelson PC, a law firm representing a homeowner who has filed suit against Southern California Edison, LA’s primary electrical utility company, claiming it started the fire.
The Eaton Fire, which started Jan. 7, killed 17 people, injured nine firefighters and damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures. It’s the second-most destructive and the fifth deadliest wildfire in the state’s history.
A spokesperson for the utility told the LA Times that it had received the video and an investigation into all evidence needed to be completed before determining the fire’s cause. “It’s premature to comment or for anyone to draw conclusions until experts can fully review the video,” said Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Edison.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is still investigating the fire, and no official cause has been announced.
Edison had de-energized distribution lines on Eaton Canyon’s West side the day the fire started, but it kept transmission lines energized on Eaton Canyon’s East side, despite an intense windstorm. Edison has previously said that its lines in the Eaton Canyon area showed “no interruptions or operational/electrical anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire’s reported start time.”
The gas station video shows blue and white flashes — what appear to be sparks — on the power lines. The edited video released by the law firm then jumps ahead by what it says is 10 minutes and shows fire erupting on the hillside.
“This is the clearest and most damning evidence yet — real-time video from a gas station security camera showing Southern California Edison’s power lines igniting the fire,” Jay Edelson, founder of the law firm, said in a statement. “It’s only by sheer luck this footage exists.”
Other area residents have come forward with videos of the start of the fire. In several, there appear to be flames around the base of the electrical transmission tower. At least 20 lawsuits have been filed against Edison, accusing it of starting the Eaton fire.
On Monday, a Glendale court strengthened an existing order, requiring Edison to preserve a six-mile span of transmission lines and any related physical evidence for investigators.
It wouldn’t be the first time a utility has been found liable for a fire. California’s Pacific Gas and Electric was linked to a series of wildfires in 2017, and billions of dollars in claims forced it to file for bankruptcy in 2019. Hawaiian electric and several other companies settled with residents for $4 billion after playing a role in the 2023 Lahaina fire on Maui.
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