Angry Altadena residents ask officials to halt Edisons undergrounding work

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Eaton wildfire survivors’ anger about Southern California Edison’s burying of electric wires in Altadena boiled over Tuesday with residents calling on government officials to temporarily halt the work.In a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, more than 120 Altadena residents and the town’s council wrote that they had witnessed “manifest failures” by Edison in recent months as it has been tearing up streets and digging trenches to bury the wires.The residents cited the unexpected financial cost of the work to homeowners and possible harm to the town’s remaining trees.

They also pointed out how the work will leave telecommunication wires above ground on poles.Business Altadena residents worry Edison’s work to bury power lines after the Eaton fire could cost families tens of thousands of dollars.

And dozens of trees could die as crews dig trenches and cut their roots, residents say.“The current lack of coordination is compounding the stress of a community still reeling from the Eaton Fire, and risks causing further irreparable harm,” the residents wrote.The council voted unanimously Tuesday night to send the letter.Scott Johnson, an Edison spokesman, said Wednesday that the company has been working to address the concerns, including by looking for other sources of funds to help pay for the homeowners’ costs.“We recognize this community has already faced a number of challenges,” he said.Johnson said the company will allow homeowners to keep existing overhead lines connecting their homes to the grid if they are worried about the cost.Edison’s crews, Johnson said, have also been trained to use equipment that avoids roots and preserves the health of trees.The utility has said that burying the wires as the town rebuilds thousands of homes destroyed in the fire will make the electrical grid safer and more reliable.But anger has grown as work cr...