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New questions over SoCal Edison’s role in Eaton Fire
New surveillance video is fueling claims that Southern California Edison equipment sparked the Eaton Fire that killed 19 people and destroyed about 9,000 structures.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - New surveillance video is putting fresh pressure on Southern California Edison as victims and insurers push to hold the utility financially responsible for the deadly Eaton Fire.
The fire, which broke out Jan. 7, 2025, killed 19 people and destroyed about 9,000 structures.
Attorneys for victims say video from the Gerrish Swim and Tennis Club in Pasadena shows two bright flashes, described as electrical arcing, near the base of a Southern California Edison transmission tower at 6:11 p.m. that night.
At that same moment, according to attorneys, Edison’s own records showed two electrical faults on a separate line more than 5 miles away. Seconds later, cellphone video from people nearby showed flames at the base of the same tower.
"Southern California Edison is responsible for starting a fire that killed 19 people and burned down 9,000 structures," said Paul Starita, an attorney for the Gerrish Swim and Tennis Club. "It is clearly their responsibility, and they need to make it right."
The tower held a transmission line that Edison had not used since 1971, according to attorneys for the victims. They argue that the line should have been removed.
Their theory is that electricity from active power lines jumped to the idle line through induction. Edison has said that is possible, but the company has not accepted responsibility for starting the fire.
"Right now, something that we’ve said publicly is that there is a possibility that our footprint was involved in the start of the fire," said Kathleen Dunleavy, a Southern California Edison spokesperson.
Dunleavy told FOX 11 that the utility’s internal investigation is still underway, and the video is one piece of a larger review.
"As with all evidence in an ongoing investigation, these things are part of the broader analysis," Dunleavy said. "Southern California Edison takes these matters very seriously."
Insurers are now asking a judge to hold Edison financially liable before the case goes to trial. Starita said the victims are still waiting for answers and relief.
"They want to be made whole," Starita said. "The civil justice system is a poor substitute. We do our best. We represent our clients. We try to restore them. We meet them on the worst day of their lives. And they just want to get on with their lives."
Starita said delaying the case only adds to what victims have already endured.
"The more that you drag this out, the more that it just adds insult to their injury," he said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing whether Edison could face criminal exposure tied to the fire. No criminal charges have been filed.
The company has placed more than $650 million in settlement offers on the table, according to attorneys, but those offers would require victims to give up their right to sue. Attorneys say most victims have not accepted the offer.
A hearing is set for Aug. 11. The civil case involving insurers is currently scheduled to go to trial in January 2027 unless a judge rules on liability before then.