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Edison hit with lawsuit saying Eaton fire exposed people to toxic substances

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Edison hit with lawsuit saying Eaton fire exposed people to toxic substances

Southern California Edison was hit with another lawsuit in the wake of the Eaton fire Wednesday, with lawyers claiming families living in or near areas devastated by the Eaton fire may have suffered from dangerous levels of lead, asbestos and other toxic substances.

The Los Angeles County Superior Court suit claims Edison’s negligence in maintaining its infrastructure triggered the Eaton fire, exposing people nearby to the fallout of lead, asbestos and other toxic substances.

The lawyers cited an investigation by The Times in which the testing of soil samples at two home sites found toxic heavy metals in excess of California standards even after federal crews removed ash and topsoil.

Edison officials have acknowledged that their equipment may have ignited the devastating fire, but have cautioned that the cause remains under investigation.

“Our thoughts are with all community members who have suffered losses due to the January fires,” Edison spokesman Jeff Monford said when asked for comment on the suit. “The cause of the Eaton fire has not yet been determined. We will review this lawsuit and respond in the litigation.”

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Edison has been hit with multiple suits in the wake of the wildfire, which destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Altadena and killed 18 people. Videos captured it igniting on Jan. 7 under one of the utility’s transmission towers. The company says the reenergization of an idle transmission line is now a leading theory of what sparked the inferno.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday was brought by California Fire Victims Law Center on behalf of Amber Diaz, the guardian of a minor identified as W.F.F. The complaint says the family’s home was “extensively damaged by smoke and ash” but is still standing. The suit seeks class-action status.

Altadena was vulnerable to lead contamination after the fire because most of its homes were built in the 1920s through 1950s — well before lead paint was officially banned in the U.S.

“No level of lead exposure is safe, especially for children where even the lowest levels can cause permanent damage to developing brains and long-term health,” said Kiley Grombacher, one of the lawyers bringing the suit. “This public health crisis could have been prevented had Southern California Edison fulfilled basic safety obligations to properly maintain its electrical infrastructure.”

It asks for compensation for residents harmed by the toxic substances as well as money for medical monitoring of their health into the future.

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Video: Why Scientists Are Performing Brain Surgery on Monarchs

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Video: Why Scientists Are Performing Brain Surgery on Monarchs

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Scientists in Texas are studying monarch butterflies to understand how they navigate thousands of miles, possibly by sensing Earth’s magnetic field. Alexa Robles-Gil explains how researchers are examining the butterflies’ brains to find answers.

By Alexa Robles-Gil, Leila Medina, Joey Sendaydiego and Mark Felix

December 23, 2025

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Video: Engineer Is First Paraplegic Person in Space

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Video: Engineer Is First Paraplegic Person in Space

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Engineer Is First Paraplegic Person in Space

A paraplegic engineer from Germany became the first wheelchair user to rocket into space. The small craft that blasted her to the edge of space was operated by Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin.

Capsule touchdown. There’s CM 7 Sarah Knights and Jake Mills. They’re going to lift Michi down into the wheelchair, and she has completed her journey to space and back.

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A paraplegic engineer from Germany became the first wheelchair user to rocket into space. The small craft that blasted her to the edge of space was operated by Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin.

December 21, 2025

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This City’s Best Winter Show Is in Its Pitch-Dark Skies

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This City’s Best Winter Show Is in Its Pitch-Dark Skies
Flagstaff mandates that shielding be placed on outdoor lighting so that it doesn’t project skyward. There are also limits on the lumens of light allowed per acre of land.

The result is a starry sky visible even from the heart of the city. Flagstaff’s Buffalo Park, just a couple miles from downtown, measures about a 4 on the Bortle scale, which quantifies the level of light pollution. (The scale goes from 1, the darkest skies possible, to 9, similar to the light-polluted night sky of, say, New York City. To see the Milky Way, the sky must be below a 5.)

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