NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Eaton Fire in central Los Angeles County poses a potential credit risk to power provider Southern California Edison, which operates electrical lines in the area where the destructive blaze first started, Moody's Ratings said in a report on Thursday.

The family of an Eaton fire victim is suing Southern California Edison for wrongful death, alleging that the utility company's negligence is to blame for the devastating blaze that killed 59-year-old Evelyn McClendon.

The mother of a woman who was killed the Los Angeles-area Eaton Fire on Friday sued Southern California Edison in what may be the first death-related case brought against the electric utility in connection with the disaster.

SCE faces lawsuits for alleged negligence contributing to the Eaton Fire's ignition, which caused destruction and fatalities.

The L.A.-area fires may pose the first big test of California’s wildfire fund, which was set up in 2019 to protect utilities from bankruptcy.

Altadena residents said in separate lawsuits that the utility’s electrical equipment had sparked the fire, which grew to consume 14,000 acres.

Attorneys representing those affected by the Eaton Fire filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison alleging that the company's equipment sparked the disastrous blaze in Altadena.

A flurry of lawsuits were filed Monday against Southern California Edison by homeowners and renters who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire.

Edison International Inc. President and CEO Pedro Pizarro says transmission lines near the site of the Eaton Wildfire in Los Angeles were "de-energized" before the first flames were reported. He also says there have been no indications of any electrical anomaly ahead of the fires.