Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and the NAACP are going after Southern California Electric on behalf of victims who lost their lives and homes in the devastating Eaton fire in separate lawsuits.
On January 15, Crump filed the first lawsuit—a wrongful death claim against Southern California Edison (SCE), the utility provider for Altadena and surrounding areas—on behalf of Evelyn Cathirell, the mother of Evelyn “Petey” McClendon, who died in the Eaton Fire, Afro reports. The fire tore through Altadena and neighboring Pasadena, destroying over 7,000 structures, scorching 14,000 acres, and killing at least 24 people.
“We don’t take it lightly: this responsibility of making sure this Black angel, Evelyn McClendon, gets full justice and accountability,” Crump said at a press conference. “We don’t want anybody to marginalize her.”…