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Los Angeles Times
28-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Flaw in Edison's equipment in Sylmar sparked two major wildfires in last six years, lawyers say
Southern California Edison's admission that its equipment may have ignited the Hurst fire in the San Fernando Valley on Jan. 7 is being seized on by lawyers suing the utility company for another fire in the same area nearly six years earlier. Both the Saddleridge fire in 2019 and the Hurst fire this year started beneath an Edison high-voltage transmission line in Sylmar. The lawyers say faulty equipment on the line ignited both blazes in the same way. 'The evidence will show that five separate fires ignited at five separate SCE transmission tower bases in the same exact manner as the fire that started the Saddleridge fire,' the lawyers wrote of the Hurst fire in a June 9 filing in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawyers said the January wildfire is 'further evidence' that a transmission pylon known as Tower 2-5 'is improperly grounded.' Edison told the state Public Utilities Commission in February that 'absent additional evidence, SCE believes its equipment may be associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire.' But the company denies claims that its equipment sparked the 2019 fire, which tore through Sylmar, Porter Ranch and Granada Hills — all suburbs of Los Angeles — burning 8,799 acres. 'We will continue to focus on facts and evidence — not on preposterous and sensational theories that only serve to harm the real victims,' said Edison spokesman David Eisenhauer. He declined further comment on the case. The Saddleridge wildfire destroyed or damaged more than 100 homes and other structures, according to Cal Fire, and caused at least one death when resident Aiman El Sabbagh suffered a cardiac arrest. Edison is being sued by insurance companies, including State Farm and USAA, to recoup the cost of damages paid to their policyholders. Homeowners and other victims are also seeking damages. A jury trial for the consolidated cases is set for Nov. 4. In their June 9 filing, the plaintiffs' lawyers also claimed Edison wasn't transparent with officials looking into the cause of the 2019 fire. One fire official characterized the utility's action as 'deceptive,' the filing said. Edison discovered a fault on its system at 8:57 p.m. — just three minutes before the blaze at the base of its transmission tower was reported to the Fire Department by Sylmar resident Robert Delgado, according to the court filing. But Edison didn't tell the Los Angeles city Fire Department about the fault it recorded, the filing said. Instead the fire department's investigation team discovered the failure on Edison's transmission lines through dash cam footage recorded by a motorist driving on the 210 Freeway nearby, the filing said. When Timothy Halloran, a city Fire Department investigator, went to the location of the flash shown on the motorist's camera, he found 'evidence of a failure on SCE's equipment,' the filing said. Halloran said in a deposition that employees of the business located where the evidence was found told him that Edison employees 'attempted to purchase' footage from the company's security camera on the night of the fire, the filing said. 'The video footage shows a large flash emanating from the direction of SCE Transmission Tower 5-2,' the filing said. Halloran testified in his deposition that he believed Edison was trying to be 'deceptive' for attempting to purchase the security camera footage and not reporting the system fault to the Fire Department, the lawyers said. Halloran didn't respond to requests for comment. Edison's maintenance of its transmission lines is now being scrutinized as it faces dozens of lawsuits from victims of the devastating Eaton fire, which also ignited on Jan. 7. Videos showed that fire, which killed 18 people and destroyed thousands of homes, starting under a transmission tower in Eaton Canyon. The investigation into the cause of the fire is continuing. Victims of the 2019 fire say they've become disheartened as Edison has repeatedly asked for delays in the court case. 'Many plaintiffs have not yet been able to rebuild their homes' because of the delays, wrote Mara Burnett, a lawyer representing the family of the man who died. Burnett noted that Aiman El Sabbagh was 54 when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during the incident. His children, Tala and Adnan El Sabbagh, 'feel they were robbed of things they treasured and worked hard for with no apparent recompense in sight.' Both the Saddleridge and Hurst fires included a similar chain of events where a failure of equipment on one tower resulted in two or more fires igniting under different towers elsewhere on the line, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs. Edison designed and constructed the towers that run through Sylmar in 1970. They hold up two transmission lines: the Gould-Sylmar 220 kV circuit and the Eagle Rock-Sylmar 220 kV circuit. In the case of the Saddleridge fire, investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the California Public Utilities Commission found that at 8:57 pm on Oct. 10, 2019, a Y-shaped steel part holding up a transmission line failed, causing the line to fall on a steel arm. The failure caused a massive electrical fault, lawyers for the plaintiffs say, that sparked fires at two transmission towers that were more than two miles away. State and city fire investigators say the Saddleridge fire began under one of those towers. And they found unusual burning at the footing of the other tower, according to a report by an investigator at the utilities commission. The utilities commission investigator said in the report that he found that Edison had violated five state regulations by not properly maintaining or designing its transmission equipment. This year's Hurst fire ignited not far away on Jan. 7 at 10:10 p.m. It also began under one of Edison's transmission towers. According to Edison's Feb. 6 report to the utilities commission, the company found that its hardware failed, resulting in equipment falling to the ground at the base of a tower. The lawyers for the plaintiffs say that they now have more evidence of the fire's start. They say that investigators found that the hardware failure set off an event — similar to the 2019 fire — that resulted in five fires at five separate transmission tower bases on the same line. One of those fires spread in high winds to become the Hurst fire. Officials ordered 44,000 people to evacuate. Air tankers and 300 firefighters contained the fire before it reached any homes.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Construction worker rescued from trench at L.D. Bell High School in Hurst
A construction worker was rescued from a trench at the construction site of the new L.D. Bell High School in Hurst on Monday. Paramedics and fire crews from Hurst Fire responded to the call just after 4:30 p.m. Paramedics were able to climb down into the trench and provide assistance to the worker before loading them into a basket and lifting them out of the trench. CareFlite also responded and transported the worker to a nearby trauma center. The extent of the person's injuries is currently unknown. Construction crews have been working to build a new L.D. Bell High School in the parking lot behind the current school. The new high school is expected to open in the fall of 2027 or 2028.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Major SoCal storm triggers evacuation orders in LA County amid flood threats
A powerful atmospheric river -linked storm that began slamming Southern California on Wednesday prompted evacuation orders in Los Angeles County amid flood threats to burn scars from wildfires that erupted in January. Threat level: Flood and flash flood watches and high-wind advisories have been issued across Southern California. Zoom in: With the worst of the "significant storm system" set to hit Thursday with heavy rains and gusty winds, Santa Barbara County said on X an evacuation order was also issued for properties associated with a burn scar from the 2024 Lake Fire due to the potential for "flash flooding, debris flow." In LA County, evacuation warnings were also set to take effect from 7am Thursday through 2pm Friday "due to high mudslide and debris flow risk," according to a statement posted on the LA Fire Department's website. Among the recently burned areas that the LAFD notes are "especially susceptible to heavy rain" are those affected by the destructive Palisades Fire, including around the Getty Villa art museum, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley. Situation report: Ahead of the storm, California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed teams to take emergency measures to prevent debris flows from burn scar areas, with up to 2 inches of rainfall expected in some places. The Cal OES Watershed and Debris Flow Task Force has "installed emergency protection materials," including straw wattles, compost silt socks, and silt fences "to contain hazardous materials from the Eaton and Palisades Fires from entering LA's creeks, rivers, and other bodies of water," per a Monday statement from the governor's office. The task force "is coordinating locally requested materials such as K-rails to divert debris flow and has completed debris basin clean-up activities over the last month to mitigate potential impacts in vulnerable areas," the statement added. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said all Malibu schools would be closed Thursday and possibly Friday "due to road closures and weather concerns." What to expect: While only light precipitation was expected on Wednesday evening, periods of moderate to heavy rain were forecast Thursday followed by scattered showers into Friday morning, per a National Weather Service LA forecast discussion. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain noted in a Wednesday blog post that while the "whole region should see a good soaking, the SoCal mountains will see widespread 3-6 inch totals (locally higher), and that does include most of the major recent fire footprints." Thunderstorms were expected to hit Southern California from noon to 10pm Thursday and rainfall rates of just over 1" per hour were expected across parts of Santa Barbara County and Ventura Counties, according to the NWS LA. "However, any location is susceptible to rain rates between a half and one inch per hour, especially during the peak of the event when convection is most likely," it added. Meanwhile, heavy snow in addition to the rains was forecast in the Sierra Nevada. Between the lines: Southern California had already been hit by " hydroclimate whiplash" from very wet to drought conditions ahead of the atmospheric river. Swain said while it has "finally rained" in Southern California this winter, "nearly the entire region remains woefully behind average." Human-caused climate change is leading to more frequent and intense extreme precipitation events, research shows. Go deeper: Climate change made LA fires far more likely, study says Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
USA Today
28-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Former Los Angeles fire chief appeals controversial ousting that came in wake of wildfires
Former Los Angeles fire chief appeals controversial ousting that came in wake of wildfires Mayor Karen Bass fired Kristin Crowley late last week, saying it was 'in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety.' Crowley's defenders say the firing was political and uncalled for. Show Caption Hide Caption L.A.'s wildfires have only intensified the city's decades-long housing crisis Where will people live now and at what cost? LOS ANGELES − Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley is appealing her controversial firing at the hands of Mayor Karen Bass, according to local reports. Crowley notified the city council about the appeal on Thursday, just under a week since Bass fired her in the wake of devastating wildfires that killed dozens of people and burned thousands of homes in the region. Bass said in a statement that the move was "in the best interests of Los Angeles' public safety," a rationale that Crowley's supporters questioned. It would take two-thirds of the council's 15 members to overturn the firing. "I look forward to hearing from you about next steps, if any," Crowley wrote in an email to councilmembers obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez called for Crowley to appeal the decision earlier this week, telling USA TODAY that it would give residents an opportunity for transparency. "We have an obligation to protect the people of Los Angeles and have the right people at the helm making good and thoughtful decisions," Rodriguez said. "It shouldn't be a political decision." Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday that: "Former Chief Crowley has the right to appeal her dismissal." Crowley's appeal to face uphill battle Four of the 15 council members, including city council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, stood with Bass at a news conference after she announced the firing. Harris-Dawson told City News Service that he wanted Crowley fired, saying that he was not fully informed during the devastating firestorm that killed dozens and burned thousands of homes in the Los Angeles region in January. 'I was acting mayor at the time and I was not getting a flow of information from the chief during that time period,' Harris-Dawson told the outlet. 'Frankly, I did not talk to her until I showed up to a press conference at 4 o'clock that afternoon of the fire.' Deputy Fire Chief Jason Hing had told Crowley that he messaged Harris-Dawson about the city's fire deployment, preparations and their need for more resources, according to phone messages obtained by KTLA-TV. Rodriguez, whose district includes areas affected by the one of the blazes, told USA TODAY that Crowley contacted her when the 800-acre Hurst Fire started. The councilwoman also called the mayor's rationale around Crowley not participating in an after-action report "not accurate." "Everything that I know about Chief Crowley and everything that I know about ... her participation and cooperation in every single (after action-report), it was just out of character for the standard operating procedures that occurred with every major incident," Rodriguez said. Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld told the Times that Bass "has the right to hire and fire whom she wishes." Blumenfeld and Harris-Dawson did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment about the appeal Thursday. Firing stokes criticisms of fire budget management Explaining the firing, Bass cited a report from the Los Angeles Times saying that fire officials decided not to assign roughly 1,000 available firefighters and dozens of water-carrying engines for emergency deployment in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood before the fires broke out. Rodriguez called that rationale a "gotcha," and said that the availability of apparatus necessary for the available firefighters would be uncovered in an investigation. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 echoed Rodriguez's assessment of the firing in a statement to USA TODAY, saying that she was dismissed without a full investigation. "We still have nearly 100 broken down fire engines, trucks, and ambulances in the maintenance yard because of civilian mechanic job cuts," the union said. "This is a city that has neglected its fire department and can't even pay our firefighters correctly for the work that we perform every single day." Bass has been dogged by criticisms of how she managed the fire budget in the year before the wind-driven fires that burned for weeks. Budget documents previously obtained by USA TODAY show that the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget was reduced from $837 million in fiscal year 2024 to $819 million in fiscal year 2025 as a part of broader cuts for the year. "LAFD's operating budget did get reduced by $17.6 million - part of that reduction included 61 total positions (civilian) being eliminated," the city's controller's office said in comments sent to USA TODAY accompanying the documents. Crowley spoke out against the budget cuts in television interviews during the emergency, echoing warnings she made to the fire commission in December. "The $17 million budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions, like our mechanics, did and has and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our apparatus," Crowley said on CNN. Tensions between Crowley and Bass nearly hit a boiling point after the interviews, and the mayor's office had to deny rumors that Crowley had been fired during a meeting between the two on Jan. 10. Bass' travel put back in spotlight after firing Bass was out of the country as the Pacific Palisades caught fire, having left on a diplomatic trip to attend the inauguration of Ghana's president. "She knew that we had a major wind event coming up that had the potential for a wildfire," Tom Doran, who fled the Palisades Fire that destroyed his home, told USA TODAY in January. "She's off in another country, and at the taxpayer's expense, when she should've been here ... She is the chief executive of Los Angeles. Yes, she delegates but if you delegate you're the one in charge." In an interview on local Fox program "The Issue Is," Bass claimed that Crowley failed to notify her about the coming fire danger and that she was not aware of warnings made before the firestorm. Days before the fires broke out, the National Weather Service forecasted the fire weather, warning residents: "A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm." Rodriguez said that she was aware of the danger ahead of the fires through multiple media outlets and that the responsibility of notifying the mayor fell on the Emergency Management Department − not on the fire chief. Bass' office stood by the firing in a statement to USA TODAY on Monday, pointing to the off-duty firefighters and saying: "Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what our city needs."
Associated Press
27-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
$50 Billion Fire Lawsuit Filed by Lawyers for Justice, PC Against Southern California Edison on Behalf of All Evacuees and Individuals Who Suffered Emotional Distress
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Harold Christian Roche, a former child model turned reputable tailor and designer of clothes for the well-heeled and influential members of California society, has filed a class action lawsuit against Southern California Edison and Edison International to hold them jointly and severally liable for causing the Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire. He alleges that the devastating fires were caused by defendants' negligence, misconduct, and wrongdoing, that defendants violated applicable statutory, regulatory, reasonable, and/or professional standards of care, and that defendants are liable for Negligence, Negligence Per Se, Negligent Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage, Inverse Condemnation, Premises Liability, Trespass, Private Nuisance, Public Nuisance, Violation of California Public Utilities Code § 2106, Violation of California Health and Safety Code § 13007, and Violation of California Business and Professions Code § 17200, et seq.. For example, Mr. Roche alleges that defendants failed to de-energize their power lines on the fateful evening of January 7, 2025, when the fires were ignited; failed to engage in adequate vegetation management; improperly classified major categories of spending as safety related, when in fact they did not relate to safety; engaged in and/or allowed pole overloading; and failed to adequately design, construct, inspect, monitor, maintain, replace, and modernize their aging electrical infrastructure and to bring their operations into compliance with modern standards, use, and needs, to protect public safety. Mr. Roche seeks to represent individuals and business who are victims of the fires, and seeks monetary damages, according to proof, which he contemplates amount to at least $50 billion, as well as injunctive and other relief. Mr. Roche has hired one of the nation's most accomplished legal teams, comprising the class action attorneys at Lawyers for Justice, PC, to represent him. The attorneys have successfully litigated over 1,000 class actions in the last decade alone. Mr. Roche's case stands out because most of the other cases that have been filed regarding the fires do not seek class certification or relief on a class-wide basis; these other lawsuits have elected not to seek class relief and to only seek relief on an individual basis by seeking to join individual lawsuits under the rules of joinder.
