- Investigators are exploring a potential link between power lines near the Eaton Fire and Southern California Edison’s equipment. The company reported new findings to the state, including a video.
- A California law firm is using the footage in a lawsuit, claiming sparks near a gas station ignited the deadly fire in Eaton Canyon.
- SCE reported no power issues before the fire but noted irregularities after the flames were contained.
Full Story
Los Angeles is now in recovery mode after wildfires ravaged the city in January 2025, leaving behind unprecedented devastation throughout the county. As the region begins to rebuild, investigators are working to determine the cause of the flames. A Southern California utility company may hold some of the answers.
Possible link to Southern California Edison
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, along with other agencies, are exploring a possible connection between power lines near the Eaton Fire, which serves homes and businesses in the area.
Southern California Edison, known as SCE, recently shared new information with the state’s Public Utilities Commission, including videos suggesting their equipment may have sparked the fire near Altadena.
Point phone camera here
Surveillance video sparks questions
Surveillance footage obtained by The New York Times in late January shows two flashes of light, potentially the trigger for the fire that caused widespread destruction in the region.
A California law firm is using the same video evidence in its lawsuit against SCE, claiming the flashes of light near a gas station ignited the deadly fire in Eaton Canyon. The fire quickly spread, causing destruction within minutes.
Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire, which started on Jan. 7, burned over 14,000 acres, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds. Firefighters managed to contain the flames, but not before the fire claimed 17 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.
Investigators have traced the origin of the fire to towers owned by SCE. They requested the utility provider preserve the equipment until the investigation is complete. SCE has stated power to the Eaton area was normal 12 hours before the fire ignited, and no faults were detected until after the flames had already spread. The company also said they found no evidence of burn patterns or damage that would explain the fire’s cause.
In response to the fire’s progression, SCE cut power to its equipment as a precaution and sent field workers to inspect safety issues. However, SCE reported multiple irregularities in their system, including flashes of light coming from their equipment when power was restored.
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Possible link to Hurst Fire
In a separate report to the state, SCE also suggested that the smaller Hurst Fire, which ignited the same day as the Eaton fire, may be linked to the company. The Hurst Fire burned approximately 800 acres.
What comes next in the investigation?
Investigators are continuing to test the equipment and collect material from the fire’s origin. As of now, there is no official confirmation on what sparked the Eaton Fire. The investigation remains active, and authorities are working to determine the full scope of the deadly blaze.
[Karah Rucker]
LOS ANGELES IS NOW IN RECOVERY MODE AFTER WILDFIRES RAVAGED THE CITY IN JANUARY, LEAVING BEHIND UNPRECEDENTED DEVASTATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
INVESTIGATORS ARE WORKING TO DETERMINE WHAT IGNITED THE FLAMES—AND A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA UTILITY COMPANY MAY HOLD SOME OF THE ANSWERS.
THE L-A COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH OTHER AGENCIES, IS LOOKING INTO A POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN POWER LINES NEAR THE EATON FIRE, WHICH SERVE HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON SHARED NEW INFORMATION WITH THE STATE’S PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION THIS WEEK, INCLUDING VIDEO SUGGESTING THEIR EQUIPMENT MAY HAVE SPARKED THE FIRE NEAR ALTADENA.
THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED IN LATE JANUARY ON SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHOWING TWO FLASHES OF LIGHT—POTENTIALLY THE TRIGGER THAT IGNITED THE FIRE
THIS IS THE SAME EVIDENCE A CALIFORNIA LAW FIRM IS USING IN THEIR LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COMPANY, CLAIMING THE SPARKS ARE WHAT IGNITED THE DEADLY FIRE IN EATON CANYON, CAUSING DESTRUCTION WITHIN MINUTES.
CAL FIRE REPORTED THE EATON FIRE STARTED ON JANUARY 7TH, BURNING OVER 14,000 ACRES, FUELED BY DANGEROUS SANTA ANA WINDS.
FIREFIGHTERS FINALLY CONTAINED THE FLAMES, BUT NOT BEFORE CLAIMING 17 LIVES AND DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFIED THE FIRE’S ORIGIN NEAR TOWERS OWNED BY THE POWER COMPANY. THEY’VE REQUESTED S-C-E TO PRESERVE THE EQUIPMENT UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS CONCLUDED.
S-C-E SAYS THE POWER SUPPLY TO THE EATON AREA WAS NORMAL 12 HOURS BEFORE THE FIRE IGNITED. FAULTS DIDN’T APPEAR UNTIL AFTER THE FLAMES ERUPTED AND THERE’S NO EVIDENCE OF BURN PATTERNS OR DAMAGE EXPLAINING THE CAUSE.
TELLING THE COMMISSION: “SCE HAS NOT IDENTIFIED TYPICAL OR OBVIOUS EVIDENCE THAT WOULD CONFIRM ASSOCIATION.”
AS THE FIRE CONTINUED TO SPREAD, S-C-E CUT POWER TO ITS EQUIPMENT AS A PRECAUTION AND SENT FIELD WORKERS TO CHECK FOR SAFETY ISSUES.
HOWEVER, THEY NOTED MULTIPLE IRREGULARITIES WITHIN THEIR SYSTEM—INCLUDING FLASHES OF LIGHT COMING FROM THEIR EQUIPMENT WHEN POWER WAS RESTORED.
IN A SEPARATE REPORT TO THE STATE, S-C-E SAYS THE SMALLER HURST FIRE MAY ALSO BE LINKED TO THEIR COMPANY. THE BLAZE STARTED THE SAME DAY AS THE EATON WILDFIRE, BURNING ABOUT 800 ACRES.
INVESTIGATORS ARE TESTING THE EQUIPMENT AND COLLECTING MATERIAL FROM THE FIRE’S ORIGIN. AS OF NOW, THERE’S NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION ON WHAT SPARKED THE EATON FIRE.
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