Reports coming from Fox News have revealed that a new lawsuit is alleging that the deadly wildfires in California were started by a local utility company and the legal team behind it says that a surveillance video proves it. If this is true, it could be a huge development in this horrific tragedy that has claimed a number of lives and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property. And, if true, you can guarantee this company is toast. That might have been a bad choice of words.
“We believe this video shows arcing on an SCE (Southern California Edison) electrical tower and a fire blazing up immediately below those sparks,” Edelson PC founder Jay Edelson said in a conversation with Fox News Digital.“Along with other evidence we have obtained, we believe that the video is compelling evidence that SCE’s faulty equipment and poor decision-making caused the Eaton Fire.”
Lawyers says the video, which underwent editing to pinpoint the flames, shows a series of sparks igniting and then falling onto a very dry hillside. Just moments after the sparks began to jump, the video shows a flash of light. Ten minutes later the entire hillside went up in flames. The Los Angeles Police Department spoke with Fox and said they are aware of the video, but would not provide any additional comments.
“We are still in the midst of this incident and still working alongside our law enforcement and fire department partners,” the LAPD explained.
In the lawsuit, Altadena resident Evangeline Iglesias claims SCE failed to shut down its power equipment despite strong warnings, which then resulted in the Eaton wildfire that consumed her home. “There is clear evidence from video footage, photographs, and witness accounts that the fire was caused by electrical equipment operated by Defendants Edison International and Southern California Edison,” the complaint read.
Edelson said they took “immediate action” and submitted an emergency filing in efforts to prevent SCE from destroying any crucial evidence as authorities continue to investigate what started the fire. He added that a court granted their order to expand its existing order to protect all key physical evidence.
“As part of the court’s order, we, along with our experts, will be entitled to inspect the power lines and obtain additional evidence. That will happen over the next 21 days,” Edelson went on to state. He revealed they have already received over 2,000 calls from local residents concerning their claims against SCE, saying they “will be bringing complaints in waves on behalf of groups of our clients.”
Another lawsuit has been filed against SCE, along with its parent company, Edison International. This also alleges a video exists showing flames starting on a piece of equipment under the control of Edison.
“The Eaton Fire is yet another tragic example of Edison’s pattern of neglect and mismanagement, a legacy of repeated failures to address known risks associated with its aging and hazardous electrical infrastructure,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint states that Edison has been warned for decades about the dangers posed by its high-voltage transmission and distribution systems, but has ignored those warnings and “consistently prioritized its profit margins over public safety.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the wildfires in Southern California,” Edison International remarked in a statement given to Fox News Digital. “We will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation and remain committed to a thorough and transparent process.”
Edelson also stated the SCE was issued an order to hand over all documents to the attorneys last week. However, the company then marked the information as being “Confidential.”
“We think those documents, along with the video evidence we have, make clear that SCE has not been honest with the public,” Edelson told Fox. “We are very confident that a court will ultimately force SCE to release those documents. However, there is nothing stopping SCE from voluntarily releasing them now. We are therefore calling on SoCal Edison to stop hiding behind its phalanx of lawyers and come clean about what it knows.”
Definitely not a good look for SCE and Edison. If you’re refusing to cooperate, even in a quiet way, it says a lot about whether or not you’re guilty of something. They might be totally innocent. Then again, probably not. Either way, let’s hope we learn the truth soon.
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