Eaton Fire Lawsuit 2025: Legal Help for Survivors

During the most terrifying and distressing moments of my life your above the call-of-duty diligence was a Godsend with the end result exceeding all expectation. – R.R., Corey Gibbs Fire Lawyers Client

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1. About our Eaton Fire lawsuit against SCE
2. Sign up for a free virtual Town Hall webinar on the SCE lawsuit, hosted by our attorneys
3. What Caused the Eaton Fire? 
4. Video Evidence shows Eaton Fire starting at base of SCE electrical tower
5. Information on evacuation hub areas and damage inspections
6. Our Eaton Fire lawsuit in the news
7. Why it’s important to speak with an Eaton Fire lawyer
8. Eaton Fire survivors don’t pay us unless we win
9. About our team of California wildfire lawyers
10. Related articles on wildfires

On January 23, 2025, Corey Gibbs Fire Lawyers filed a California fire lawsuit against Southern California Edison on behalf of Eaton Fire survivors who lost homes as renters or homeowners.

Our California fire lawsuit alleges, among other things, that SoCal Edison prioritized profits over safety in failing to inspect and maintain its infrastructure and manage its power transmission lines during a period of high fire danger. Plaintiffs allege that this failure ultimately caused the Eaton Fire to ignite in the hills of Eaton Canyon, near Altadena, CA.

Visit our 2025 Los Angeles Fires resources page to access critical information and resources for those impacted by these fires.

Visit our Town Hall Registration page linked here to see upcoming dates and register for a Town Hall webinar.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from award-winning Eaton fire attorneys and ask them questions. Find out how joining a California fire lawsuit can help you and your family recover & rebuild from the Eaton fire.

On February 6, 2025, Southern California Edison provided an update about its investigation into the cause of the Eaton Fire and its efforts to preserve related evidence. The report confirms that on January 7, 2025, at 6:11 p.m., an electrical fault was detected on its Eagle Rock-Gould transmission line, which then caused a surge of electricity on the transmission lines located near the Eaton Fire’s area of origin. Signs of electrical damage have also been identified by SoCal Edison on its transmission tower’s grounding equipment located near the Gould substation. The utility also notes that following the Eaton Fire, on January 19, 2025, during a temporary re-energization of its transmission lines in Eaton Canyon, SoCal Edison’s electrical workers observed a small flash of white light on the lines.

We continue to insist that SoCal Edison preserve all evidence.  SoCal Edison states that it is still in the process of gathering all the data and records that have been requested by CalFire, LA County Fire Department and various law firms. It is further working on responding to our request that the transmission tower lines at issue be lowered for inspection.

These updates provide further confirmation of our belief that SoCal Edison’s equipment caused the Eaton Fire.

Many Los Angeles residents are coming forward to hold SCE accountable following strong evidence that the company’s equipment potentially sparked the Eaton wildfire that has destroyed or damaged an estimated 10,491 structures.

Video evidence shows sparks and flames erupting at the base of a Southern California Edison electrical tower in Eaton Canyon on January 7th, the same day that the Eaton Fire started, according to the New York Times.

The president of the parent company, Edison International, said they were reviewing “several irregularities” in its electrical system and that an “inactive transmission line might have sparked if electrified equipment nearby caused the line to energize.” The utility found signs of damage from arcing on some inactive equipment, which can be seen in the video footage.

On February 6, 2025, the company noticed that its system was under strain from 100-mile-an-hour winds. Despite the high danger, none of the higher-voltage transmission lines near Altadena were cut off that evening. This fact pattern mirrors the cause of many other utility-caused fires in California, where the electrical facilities should have been deenergized due to high wind events, but they were not. For example, following the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, PG&E was found liable for failing to properly maintain its power lines causing the deadly and destructive fire that resulted in billions of dollars of damage. Years before the Camp Fire, the CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) released a fire management plan for that region, warning that Paradise was at risk for a wind-driven fire, according to the LA Times.

The Eaton Fire was initially reported on January 7, 2025, just after 6 PM. The fire spread rapidly and forced thousands in the Altadena area to evacuate quickly. According to Cal Fire, the Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres and was officially 100% contained as of February 1, 2025. Unfortunately, the Eaton Fire has reportedly caused at least 17 deaths, making it one of the most devastating and deadly wildfires in California history.

All evacuation orders and warnings for areas affected by the Eaton Fire have been lifted as of January 24. However, residents should continue to take precautions and follow official guidance when returning to affected neighborhoods. Officials continue to advise not to drink or cook with tap water in affected areas, even after boiling. The latest county water advisories can be found here.

The state has set up this hub page for survivors to find the latest information on California fire disaster relief and returning home safely. A Disaster Recovery Center opened in Altadena on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, and is open from 9 AM to 8 PM seven days a week. The center is located at 540 West Woodbury Road, Altadena, CA 91001.

The foothill and Angeleno communities have rallied many resources for food, temporary housing, clothing, childcare, pet support, healthcare, and financial support for survivors. You can find information on those resources here.

Damage inspections are ongoing and will continue to be updated. Inspections that have already been completed are available on LA County’s website for Eaton Fire Recovery Information.

• Read about Emergency & Safety Tips for those recently impacted by LA wildfires: Resources for Los Angeles Wildfire Survivors (2025)
• Learn about our team’s track record of success suing some of the largest utilities in California for causing wildfires: About Corey Gibbs Fire Lawyers: Representing Wildfire Survivors
• Frequently Asked Questions from LA Fires Survivors
• Eaton Fire Wrongful Death Lawsuits
• Why File a Lawsuit? Information for Eaton Fire Survivors
• See upcoming dates and register for a Town Hall webinar put on by our attorneys

Read our press release about helping Eaton fire survivors through the California Fire Lawsuit:

• Corey Gibbs Fire Lawyers Files Lawsuit Against SCE On Behalf of Eaton Fire Survivors

The steps and actions you take in the aftermath of the fire can affect your rights and ability to file a fire claim going forward.  We want to help put survivors in the best position in terms of your legal rights going forward.

Our team works with our clients to detail all losses in Los Angeles fires and gather supporting information and documents that will be necessary to the success of their case. We can also help navigate wrongful death claims for families who lost loved ones.

Our California fire attorneys have extensive experience representing California fire survivors in lawsuits against utilities for recklessly causing destruction.      

To date, we have represented over 6,300 survivors of utility caused fires and explosions in California.  On behalf of these clients, we have secured over $1.5B in compensation.  Lead counsel, Amanda Riddle was an integral member of the team that negotiated the $13.5 billion settlement with PG&E during the company’s bankruptcy following the 2017 North Bay Fires and the 2018 Camp Fire, which collectively killed over 100 people and destroyed over 30,000 structures in Northern California.