Baron & Budd and Diab Chambers File Lawsuits on Behalf of Five Public Entities Against Southern California Edison to Recover Public Resources and Infrastructure Damaged by the Eaton Fire

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the nationally recognized law firm of Baron & Budd P.C. alongside Diab Chambers LLP filed lawsuits on behalf of the County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, the City of Pasadena, and the City of Sierra Madre against Southern California Edison for damages to public resources and infrastructure caused by the January 7, 2025 Eaton Fire.

The lawsuits, filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, seek legal damages for injuries to public resources, natural resources, lost revenues, fire response costs, increased expenses, damage to infrastructure such as roads and water systems, and other damages unique to public entities.

“The public infrastructure and resource damages the Public Entities are seeking in these lawsuits will be vital to the rebuilding process in the aftermath of this devastating fire,” said Baron & Budd Shareholder Torri Sherlin.

The damages to the public entities are extensive, including destruction to several County and City parks, wilderness areas, and landmarks including:

• Eaton Canyon Natural Area including the McCurdy Nature Center (Los Angeles County)
• Farnsworth Park and its historic Davies Community Center (Los Angeles County)
• The Altadena Golf Course (Los Angeles County)
• The Altadena Senior Center (Los Angeles County)
• Loma Alta Park (Los Angeles County)
• Charles White Park (Los Angeles County)
• Altadena Triangle Park (Los Angeles County)
• The Pasadena Police Department's Advanced Officer Training Facility (City of Pasadena)
• The Pasadena Municipal Assistance, Solutions, and Hiring (MASH) building and fleet (City of Pasadena)
• Critical water management infrastructure including storage tanks (City of Pasadena)
• The Sierra Madre Historical Wilderness Area (City of Sierra Madre)
• The Mount Wilson Trail network (City of Sierra Madre)
• Heightened vulnerability to post-fire mudslides requiring immediate mitigation
• Damage to infrastructure including roads, water systems, and debris basins, among other critical infrastructure, facilities, and resources.

The lawsuits follow Southern California Edison's February 6 disclosure to the California Public Utilities Commission admitting that a "fault was detected" on its Eagle Rock-Gould transmission circuit coinciding with the fire's ignition time and location. Video and photographic evidence show flames erupting near the base of Edison transmission towers in Eaton Canyon moments after electrical anomalies were recorded. The lawsuit outlines how weather forecasts in the days preceding the fire had repeatedly warned of extreme fire danger, with the National Weather Service issuing progressively stronger advisories culminating in a Red Flag Warning on the morning of January 7th when winds reached extreme levels. Despite these repeated warnings, Southern California Edison failed to deenergize its equipment.

“The lawsuits seek to hold Southern California Edison responsible for this devastating fire and recover the critical infrastructure and taxpayer resources that the fire destroyed. The lawsuits are a critical step towards rebuilding the communities impacted by this devastating fire,” said Ed Diab, a founding partner of Diab Chambers representing the public entities in this case.

The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including churches, temples, mosques, senior centers, parks, and historical landmarks, displaced tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents, and tragically resulted in the fatalities of at least 17 individuals.

Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, and the Consolidated Fire Protection District are represented by Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn Harrison, Scott Kuhn, Andrea Ross, Joe Mellis, and David Aigboboh.

The City of Pasadena is represented by City Attorneys Michele Bagneris, Arnold Lee, and Caroline Monroy.

The City of Sierra Madre is represented by City Attorney Aleks Giragosian.

The five public entities are also represented by outside counsel John Fiske, Torri Sherlin, and Taylor O’Neal of Baron & Budd P.C., and Ed Diab, Rob Chambers, and Kristen Barton of Diab Chambers LLP.

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

With more than 40 years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of public entities and tens of thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse and significant as dangerous and highly addictive pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, wildfires, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, e-cigarettes, motor vehicles, federal whistleblower cases, and other consumer fraud issues.