Several lawsuits have been filed against Southern California Edison, accusing the power company’s equipment of starting the Eaton Fire.
One of the lawsuits was filed on behalf of a man who rented a home destroyed in the blaze. Patrick McNicholas, the plaintiff’s attorney, told KNX News that “every factor is present” to indicate that utility wires were the cause of the fire.
“There’s eyewitness reports, there’s photographic evidence, and there’s video evidence, as well as the circumstances around the electric wires would indicate that there’s a source of ignition there also,” Patrick McNicholas, the plaintiff’s attorney, told KNX News.’
He said he’s contacted people who took photos and videos that allegedly show sparks from a power line igniting the fire.
McNicholas was part of the legal team that secured a $13.5 billion settlement with PG&E to compensate victims of wildfires caused by the utility’s equipment in Northern California between 2015 and 2018. He said utility companies have failed to create a “culture of safety” to prevent fires.
“The commonality is that the utilities have failed to upgrade their equipment and they have failed to clear their vegetation,” McNicholas said. “They didn't reinvest in safety and training and upgrading their equipment, and they have to do it. They need to bury their lines.”
McNicholas said he anticipates that between 20,000 and 30,000 people will be directly affected by this month’s fires, and that his firm will end up representing at least a third of them.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the Eaton Fire, which has destroyed more than 7,000 structures and killed 16 people.
At the time of this publication, four lawsuits had been filed against the power company. KNX News has reached out to Southern California Edison for comment.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok