SoCal Edison sues over claims Eaton Fire was made more deadly

Southern California Edison filed court complaints accusing Los Angeles County and local water agencies of missteps that, in the utility’s view, made the 2025 Eaton Fire more deadly, according to Associated Press. The company also filed a separate complaint against Southern California Gas.

The lawsuits were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, AP reported. SoCal Edison submitted cross-complaints against Los Angeles County, Pasadena Water and Power and five other water agencies, and it also filed a separate court complaint against SoCalGas.

The Eaton Fire began on Jan. 7, 2025. AP reported that the fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and other structures, and that firefighters took nearly a month to extinguish the blaze. AP also said the fire scorched 22 square miles (57 square kilometers).

AP reported that the fire’s cause remains under investigation, with evidence suggesting one of SoCal Edison’s idled power lines might have sparked the blaze. The new filings, however, focus on actions by other agencies and on the utility’s view of how events unfolded as the fire spread.

In its claims, SoCal Edison said Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents in east and west Altadena. AP reported that 18 of the 19 people who died in the fire lived in west Altadena.

The utility also alleged that water agencies, including Pasadena Water and Power, did not provide enough water as the fire spread, which left firefighters with limited resources, AP reported. Los Angeles County declined to comment on the latest court filings, AP said.

In a separate filing, SoCal Edison blamed SoCalGas for, in its view, delaying widespread shutoffs. AP reported that SoCal Edison alleged SoCalGas did not begin widespread shutoffs until four days after the fire started, and that it said gas leaks and gas-fed fires helped fuel the blaze.

SoCalGas said it is reviewing the complaint and will respond through the judicial process, AP reported. Pasadena officials rejected SoCal Edison’s claims, saying the city believes the utility’s equipment caused the fire, AP reported.

The Eaton Fire cases add to an ongoing legal load for SoCal Edison. AP reported that SoCal Edison is facing 998 lawsuits from fire victims, insurers and government entities, and that the U.S. Department of Justice has sued the company over damage to National Forest land.