A lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison alleges that the utility company may have destroyed evidence related to the cause of the devastating Eaton Fire. Attorneys for the plaintiff claim Edison crews were dismantling damaged equipment in the fire zone without complying with preservation requests. This raises concerns that crucial evidence pointing to the fire's origin could be lost.
Attorneys for a woman who is among thousands who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire outside Los Angeles say Southern California Edison crews working to repair and restore power in the area may have destroyed evidence that could help determine what sparked the wildfire. Video and photos taken by residents captured flames beneath Edison's electrical towers in the Eaton Canyon area in the early minutes of the fire. One resident said he heard a loud pop at the outset of the conflagration.
Now, attorneys for Altadena resident Evangeline Iglesias have asked a judge to order Edison to preserve evidence in the area, concerned that the utility is discarding equipment that may hold clues to the fire's origin. “SCE’s counsel stated in no uncertain terms that SCE planned to destroy ‘damaged distribution and related equipment in Altadena’ and ‘electrical infrastructure’' in Eaton Canyon unless plaintiff's attorneys identified each specific piece of evidence that had to be preserved, attorneys wrote. Her lawyers say they have received nearly 1,000 inquiries from “residents who will need this very same evidence in order to recover.” Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, wouldn’t comment Friday on any lawsuits or the sound heard as the fire ignited because the cause is still under investigation. “Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time,” she said. In a filing to the California Public Utilities Commission, Edison reported two days after the fire started that it had not received any suggestions that its equipment was involved in the ignition. “Preliminary analysis by SCE of electrical circuit information for the energized transmission lines going through the area for 12 hours prior to the reported start time of the fire shows no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire,” the utility reported. This assertion was repeated in a Jan. 14 letter written by SCE’s attorneys in response to the request to preserve evidence. Aerial images provided by the Vexcel Data Program show eight work trucks in the area northwest of the Eaton Valley electrical towers four days after the start of the fire. Several trucks matched the type used by Edison work crews but the logos weren't visible in the images. Ornelas said she did not have information about the trucks or their work. In a filing in response to the request to preserve evidence, Edison lawyers said the utility must “immediately undertake reconstruction work in Altadena to make the area safe for the public and to remove damaged equipment.” The filing asked plaintiff attorneys to “inform us immediately if you are in possession of any information or evidence suggesting that SCE’s distribution facilities in Altadena are relevant to the Eaton Fire.” One resident of the neighborhood who saw the fire as it began said he heard a loud pop as flames shot up beneath the electrical towers minutes before the wind whipped the blaze into one of the Matt Logelin, whose backyard overlooks the Eaton Canyon area, was making dinner for his children when he heard the sound. At first, he thought it might be a tree branch that snapped in the strong wind. “I looked out the window just to kind of watch the wind. And I saw a tiny fire up on the hill,” he said. He grabbed his phone and snapped a photo at 6:13 p.m. Twenty-three minutes later, the sky was glowing orange and flames filled the canyon
Eaton Fire Southern California Edison Evidence Destruction Lawsuit Wildfire
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