Southern California Edison is taking a hard look at its own hand in last year's devastating Eaton Fire, which left 19 people dead and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes. In a series of lawsuits filed against local agencies and other utility companies, SoCal Edison claims that multiple missteps by Los Angeles County, Pasadena Water and Power, and Southern California Gas Company contributed to the fire's deadly impact.
The company says that a lack of timely evacuation warnings from county officials left residents in west Altadena – where 18 of the 19 fatalities occurred – without adequate warning as flames spread. SoCal Edison also alleges that water agencies failed to provide sufficient firefighting resources, leaving firefighters scrambling to contain the blaze.
But SoCal Edison is not pointing fingers solely at its competitors; it's also directing blame towards SoCalGas. The company claims that the gas utility's delayed response – not kicking in widespread shutoffs until four days after the fire began – allowed gas leaks and gas-fed fires to fuel the inferno, making the disaster even more catastrophic.
Pasadena officials have rejected these claims, maintaining that SoCal Edison's equipment was responsible for the fire. Meanwhile, SoCalGas is reviewing the complaint but has vowed to respond through the judicial process.
As the investigation into the Eaton Fire continues, one thing is clear: a multitude of factors contributed to the disaster. And now, with 998 lawsuits already filed against SoCal Edison, it's likely that the company will face further scrutiny over its handling of the crisis.
The company says that a lack of timely evacuation warnings from county officials left residents in west Altadena – where 18 of the 19 fatalities occurred – without adequate warning as flames spread. SoCal Edison also alleges that water agencies failed to provide sufficient firefighting resources, leaving firefighters scrambling to contain the blaze.
But SoCal Edison is not pointing fingers solely at its competitors; it's also directing blame towards SoCalGas. The company claims that the gas utility's delayed response – not kicking in widespread shutoffs until four days after the fire began – allowed gas leaks and gas-fed fires to fuel the inferno, making the disaster even more catastrophic.
Pasadena officials have rejected these claims, maintaining that SoCal Edison's equipment was responsible for the fire. Meanwhile, SoCalGas is reviewing the complaint but has vowed to respond through the judicial process.
As the investigation into the Eaton Fire continues, one thing is clear: a multitude of factors contributed to the disaster. And now, with 998 lawsuits already filed against SoCal Edison, it's likely that the company will face further scrutiny over its handling of the crisis.
... and it's not like we can even blame just one person or company. It seems to me that everyone involved was trying to do their job, but something clearly went wrong 
. I mean, 4 days without widespread shutoffs from SoCalGas? That's like asking for a fire to spread 
. And the evacuation warnings from LA County officials? We need to get our emergency systems in check ASAP 
... we can't keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again 
. It's gonna be a long road to recovery, but I hope SoCal Edison comes out of this with some real changes 
... like, can't we all just work together to prevent these kinds of disasters? I mean, SoCal Edison is trying to point fingers, but it's not like they're completely innocent either 
. And what's with the water agencies not providing enough resources? It's like, basic human decency right? 
. I don't know about you guys, but if my house was on fire, I'd want the gas company to shut off my gas supply ASAP! And it's not like they're denying any wrongdoing, they're just trying to spin it 
that some real change comes out of this 
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. Still, I think it's gonna be super hard for them to convince everyone that everything was someone else's fault 
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. The fact that 998 lawsuits have already been filed against SoCal Edison just shows how out of control this whole situation is 
THEY'RE PLAYING VICTIM INSTEAD OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT 
AND IT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO PASADENA WATER AND POWER AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO DO THEIR JOBS 
BUT I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW ALL THESE LAWSUITS PLAY OUT 
and how it was like a nightmare for everyone involved. 10,000 homes lost, people dead... it was just so devastating. And now with SoCal Edison going after local agencies and its own competitors for the Eaton Fire, I'm like "can't they all just take responsibility?" 
I mean, we know SoCal Edison's equipment was involved in that one, but how many times do you have to get burned (literally) before people start taking action? 
. It just goes to show that preparedness and communication are key when it comes to things like this. I hope SoCalGas takes the investigation seriously and doesn't try to sweep anything under the rug 
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. Maybe this will finally get some change going in terms of accountability for these types of disasters. We need more transparency and action, not just finger-pointing 
... meanwhile the families of those 19 people who lost their lives are still waiting for justice 
. We need real accountability here, not just PR spin 
...
. Like, come on, how could they not have seen those gas leaks coming? It's like they're saying "hey, we might've had a role in this, but others did too" 
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. But what really gets me is that 19 people lost their lives... it's just devastating 
. Pasadena officials think SoCal Edison's equipment was to blame, and honestly, that's probably true... I mean, have you seen their track record on safety? 
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like, how would you feel? i'm all about prioritizing safety and being proactive, especially when it comes to natural disasters. SoCal Edison needs to take responsibility for their equipment and make sure that these kinds of tragedies never happen again 
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. I mean, 998 lawsuits already? That's like, a lot! We can't just move on from this without making some changes 
. Safety should always be the top priority 
y'know, when we're talkin' 'bout catastrophes like this Eaton Fire, it's easy to point fingers & say "it was everyone else's fault". But the thing is, every single person involved played a part in makin' it happen. It's like they say: "you can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails" 
SoCal Edison coulda been more proactive, but the water agencies weren't doin' their job either & the gas company wasn't respondin' fast enough. Meanwhile, LA County officials were stuck in delay mode. It's all about bein' accountable for our own actions & not shiftin' the blame. We can learn a lot from this tragedy by takin' responsibility for our roles in it & workin' together to prevent somethin' like that from happenin' again 
83% increase in wildfires compared to the previous year, and 75% more homes destroyed. That's just crazy!
. But let's look at some numbers: 19 fatalities, 10k+ homes destroyed... that's like $13B in damages