The Pasadena Unified School District has filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, alleging that the utility company’s equipment caused the devastating Eaton Fire, which damaged multiple school campuses. The district joins Los Angeles County, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre in legal action against the utility company over the January 7 blaze.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Eaton Fire burned 14,021 acres, destroyed 9,418 structures, damaged another 1,073 structures, and resulted in 17 deaths in the Altadena/Pasadena area.
The school district stated in a news release Friday that the fire inflicted “extensive damage” on its campuses. The lawsuit cites “photographic evidence” linking Southern California Edison to the fire and references Edison’s reports to the California Public Utilities Commission acknowledging a “fault was detected” on its transmission circuit at the time and location where the fire started.
Damaged campuses named in the lawsuit include:
- Franklin Elementary School
- Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School
- The Edison campus housing Odyssey Charter School
- The Loma Alta campus housing Pasadena Rosebud Academy and Oak Knoll Montessori School
- The Noyes campus housing Aveson School of Leaders
The lawsuit includes claims for inverse condemnation, negligence, trespass, nuisance, premises liability, and violations of public utilities and health and safety codes. “The lawsuit seeks to address the devastating impacts this fire has had on the district’s educational infrastructure and the significant losses sustained in the wake of the Eaton Fire,” said Ed Diab, a founding partner of Diab Chambers LLP, which is representing Pasadena Unified, Los Angeles County, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre in their lawsuits.
Southern California Edison began close-up inspections of its Eaton Canyon electrical equipment on March 17. The company stated that its investigation is being conducted in coordination with fire investigators, local governments, and the attorneys involved in the lawsuits. Inspections are expected to take several weeks and involve crews climbing towers for assessments and using drone technology to examine equipment.
