Lawyers blame decommissioned transmission tower for deadly Eaton fire

Lawyers blame decommissioned transmission tower for deadly Eaton fire

Authorities believe a decommissioned transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison (SCE) caused the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, which killed 18 people and destroyed over 9,400 structures. Lawyers allege that a voltage surge at one of SCE’s substations triggered an arcing event on the tower, causing metal to fall and ignite brush below. SCE is under investigation, with CEO Pedro Pizarro acknowledging the possibility of their equipment bei…

Molten material from idle SCE tower triggered Eaton fire, attorney alleges

A new video analysis by a coalition of attorneys investigating the Eaton fire appears to show molten material falling from an idle tower conductor into dry brush below — more evidence that Southern California Edison equipment sparked the monstrous blaze in January. The new evidence, presented by LA Fire Justice at a town hall meeting Thursday, April 17, bolstered the theory that a tower — deenergized more than 50 years ago — became active in the…

Pasadena testing for lead in soil at parks from Eaton Fire

The City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services department is closing baseball infields at two parks after LA County health officials revealed elevated lead levels in soil from the Eaton Fire, the city said Friday. Soil sampling in two neighborhoods revealed led levels above 80 parts per million, which does not require cleanup or remediation but indicates the need for further evaluation, city officials said. One neighborhood is gen…

Eaton fire lawsuit: SCE, plaintiffs prepare to remove giant towers from canyon

Crews next week will begin lowering Eaton Canyon transmission lines in preparation for removing the giant Southern California Edison towers that are evidence at the center of an investigation into how the Eaton fire started, attorneys said in court on Thursday, April 17. The towers have become the heart of multiple investigations and legal claims against Rosemead-based SCE over equipment that is suspected to have sparked the catastrophic blaze, …