Video shows Altadena couple's harrowing escape from the Eaton Fire
Harrowing video, captured by Jeffrey Ku and his wife Cheryl, shows hurricane-like winds pushing deadly flames toward their Altadena neighborhood in the early hours of the Eaton Fire last Tuesday.
"It was definitely something out of a nightmare," Jeffrey said.
Cheryl had just come home from work when she noticed the flames near a utility tower along the Eaton Canyon trail.
A lawsuit has been filed in which lawyers for the plaintiffs say "We are committed to holding Southern California Edison accountable."
"We are committed to holding Southern California Edison accountable for their alleged negligence and to seeking justice for victims who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones," said Patrick McNicholas, an attorney at McNicholas & McNicholas.
In response, the utility company says "Our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires."
"SCE understands that a lawsuit related to the Eaton fire has been filed but has not yet been served with the complaint. SCE will review the complaint when it is received. The cause of the fire continues to be under investigation," said Jeff Monford, spokesperson for Southern California Edison.
The video shows Jeffrey spraying his roof with a garden hose before eventually giving up within a minute.
"The wind was blowing so hard that the water was forming an arc," he said.
He said between the roaring winds, ember cast and suffocating smoke he and his wife had to run for their lives.
"It was unbearable to be outside," Jeffrey said. "The sky had turned a deep orange which I felt was like our time to go."
In the video, he said goodbye to his Altadena home before escaping.
"At one point, I think I had broken down and I said goodbye to the house and I started to sob," Jeffrey said.
Ku and his wife are currently staying at a hotel with their two dogs. Their home which is in the evacuation zone is still standing. He managed to gather his Ring camera video and what he captured on his phone. The added time stamps show what can happen in just 34 minutes.