Utility Claims Its Equipment Could Have Caused Small Blaze That Ignited During January’s LA Firestorm

LOS ANGELES—On Thursday, a California utility announced that its equipment could have ignited a small wildfire in Los Angeles, coinciding with two significant fires in the region that resulted in at least 29 fatalities and the devastation of thousands of homes.

Southern California Edison reported that the Los Angeles Fire Department is probing the cause of the Hurst Fire and suspects that the utility’s equipment initiated the fire, which fortunately did not lead to any structural damage or casualties. In a mandatory disclosure to state utility regulators, SCE mentioned, “absent additional evidence, SCE believes its equipment may be associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire.”

In a separate report, the utility indicated it is investigating whether an inactive transmission line was energized and possibly ignited the fatal Eaton Fire, which also broke out on January 7 and severely impacted Altadena. However, they still assert that there is no proof connecting their equipment to that fire’s origin.

The utility acknowledged last month that fire authorities are scrutinizing whether its equipment might have instigated the Hurst Fire, which burned approximately 1.25 square miles (3.2 square km) near the Sylmar area of Los Angeles.

The utility stated it is cooperating fully with investigators.

Concerning the Eaton Fire, SCE mentioned it is examining a video that allegedly shows “flashes” of electrical arcing from a tower close to where the fire started. A preliminary inquiry found no evidence of arcing, although some damage was detected on related equipment.

“SCE is unaware of when this damage may have occurred and is currently comparing pre- and post-fire images,” the report stated.

Numerous lawsuits against SCE allege the video demonstrates that the utility’s equipment ignited the Eaton Fire, yet the utility insists it is premature to establish such a link.

“SCE has not detected typical indicators supporting this association, such as broken wires, fresh arc marks in the preliminary origin zone, or any evidence of faults on the energized lines traversing that area,” the utility noted in a news release publicizing its reports.

The Eaton Fire, which resulted in at least 17 deaths, was fully contained last week. Full containment was also achieved for the Palisades Fire, the largest of the wildfires that led to the destruction of thousands of homes and claimed at least 12 lives.

By Christopher Weber