A Los Angeles Superior Courtroom Monday, March 17, played host to a two-hour long hearing where dozens of attorneys representing plaintiffs of Eaton fire-related lawsuits against Southern California Edison worked through the logistical challenge of handling the multitude of cases filed against the utility. Those cases allege that the Rosemead-based utility’s equipment ignited the catastrophic blaze.

Judge Laura Seigle presided over the hearing, attended by more than 50 attorneys representing individuals, public entities, insurance companies and class actions.

SCE attorneys were present.

Seigle asked that a modified case management order be sent to her for signature by 3 p.m. Monday. The order lays out a protocol for how the cases will move forward and how new lawsuits would be integrated into the process.

Also see: Eaton fire coverage

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against the public utility alleging that it is at fault for starting the devastating Eaton fire, which left 17 dead and more than 14,000 structures destroyed.

L.A. County, Pasadena and Sierra Madre joined a growing list of plaintiffs earlier this month, each filing their own lawsuit. At a Board of Education meeting last week, the Pasadena Unified School District announced it would be initiating litigation against Eaton fire-related defendants, including SoCal Edison.

On Monday, the goal was to consolidate the cases, for the sake of “efficiency” of managing the process. That included appointing attorneys that would act as “liaisons” between the clients, firms and the court.

Pending the judge’s OK, expected later Monday, the firms asked that the following lawyers be appointed as liaisons: Amanda L. Riddle of Corey, Luzaich, de Ghetaldi & Riddle; Gerald Singleton of Singleton Schreiber; and Rahul Ravipudi of Panish Shea Ravipudi.

Attorneys also sought the judge’s sign-off on efforts to preserve evidence in the case, seeking “protocols for inspection and testing of SCE equipment and substations” in the area of the fire.

SCE  and investigators for the victims this week were expected to begin physically inspecting the equipment that the more than 130 lawsuits allege sparked the deadly blaze.

The close-up inspections will include scaling three transmission towers and testing power lines under investigation for possible links to the fire’s origin, said Edison spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy. To date, the towers have only been inspected by drones.

Besides Edison investigators, electrical engineers representing the plaintiffs in the litigation — including Los Angeles County and the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre — will be collaborating in the inspection.

“It’s a huge step toward determining the mechanism of the fire,” said attorney Michael Artinian, one of the lawyers representing victims of the Eaton fire, which destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 17 people, said last week. “We already have a lot of evidence to show the sparking that caused the fire, now we’re looking at the mechanism, the ‘how.’ “

Alexander Robertson, another attorney representing victims, said told the Southern California News Group last week that plaintiffs have been requesting access to Edison’s transmission towers and power lines since the fire occurred.

The lawsuits point to eyewitness accounts, photographs and videos depicting arcing from Edison power lines and flames burning at the bottom of transmission towers.

The suits contend that sparks from the lines or current from an exposed grounding wire made contact with the brush. They also criticize SCE for not deenergizing all the power lines in Eaton Canyon after the utility was warned days ahead that powerful winds were coming.

Edison has notified the Public Utilities Commission of irregularities in the system when it reenergized lines in the canyon, noting a “small flash of white light.”

A state and county investigation into the official cause of the fire is underway. Edison is also investigating.

Much of the physical inspection will focus on three towers in the area where lawsuits allege the fire began, including one tower that was de-energized more than 50 years ago. One of the allegations is that the tower somehow became reenergized and triggered the fire.

Ultimately, the stakes are high for Edison, including for the company’s own solvency.

Edison International said its transmission operations were managed responsibly, even if its equipment is found to have started the fire.

SCE “would make a good faith showing that its conduct with respect to its transmission facilities in the Eaton Canyon area was consistent with actions of a reasonable utility,” Edison Chief Executive Officer Pedro Pizarro said during the company’s earnings call last month.

But in the wake of the fires, utilities have faced ramped up scrutiny from residents and leaders, mindful that the state’s utilities have started some of the state’s largest wildfires. PG&E Corp., for instance, was forced to declare bankruptcy over the finding.

According to Reuters, Edison had lost about a third of its market value since the Eaton Fire erupted Jan. 7, destroying more than 9,000 structures and cause damage estimated at $7 billion to $10 billion.

Under California reforms designed to improve utility wildfire safety practices, a utility can recover from customer damage claims related to a fire tied to its equipment if regulators determine that it acted prudently.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

SCNG staff writer Tony Saavedra conrtibuted to this report.