By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
As ashes are still settling over parts of Altadena, California, victims of the Eaton wildfire have started filing lawsuits in the wake of the unprecedented blaze that destroyed more than 7,000 structures, 14,000 acres and has caused the death of at least 24 victims in Altadena, Pasadena, and surrounding communities.
Noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Jan. 15 filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Evelyn Cathirell, mother of Evelyn “Petey” McClendon who died in the Eaton fires that consumed much of the Altadena community and devastated parts of the surrounding neighborhoods of Pasadena. The suit is filed against Southern California Edison (SCE), the power company responsible for electrical service for the area.
McClendon and Cathirell shared a home, which was consumed in the Jan. 7 Eaton wildfire. McClendon’s remains were found by family members the following day.
“We don’t take it lightly: this responsibility of making sure this Black angel, Evelyn McClendon gets full justice and accountability,” said Crump at a press conference announcing the lawsuit.
“We don’t want anybody to marginalize her,” he added.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of Cathirell is the first of a growing number of lawsuits that are being filed against Southern California Edison as residents begin the process of reviewing the remains of their homes and property in the wake of the Eaton fire.
The following day, Crump also filed suit against SCE and its parent company, Edison International on behalf of the family of Erliene Kelly. The 83-year-old retired pharmacy technician died in the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7.
The negligence lawsuit filed on behalf of Kelly claims SCE and its parent company are responsible for the tragedy due to “SCE’s aging electrical equipment and its decision not to de-energize power lines, despite warnings from the National Weather Service,” according to a statement issued by Crump’s Florida firm, Lawyers for Justice.
On Jan. 16, the NAACP joined with civil rights and environmental justice law firm Singleton Schreiber, announcing yet another lawsuit filed against SCE and Edison International (EI) on behalf of Eric Mahone and Mahone family members, whose home in Altadena burned to the ground.
The negligence lawsuit claims the fire started “when Edison’s electrical equipment caused sparks to ignite dry vegetation in Eaton Canyon. Despite previously identifying the area as an extreme fire risk zone, Edison failed to take adequate precautions to prevent the fire, resulting in this catastrophic tragedy,” according to a statement issued by the NAACP.
“Altadena – a community deeply rooted in Black history and homeownership – deserves justice,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
Pedro Pizzaro, CEO of Edison International, said the cause of the fires remains under investigation.
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