LOS ANGELES — Southern California Edison (SCE) reported on Thursday that its equipment may have been involved in igniting the Hurst Fire, a minor wildfire in Los Angeles, amid an ongoing investigation. This development coincided with two larger fires in the region that resulted in at least 29 fatalities and the destruction of thousands of homes.
The utility’s admission came through a mandatory filing with state regulators, acknowledging its possible connection to the Hurst Fire, which burned approximately 1.25 square miles in Los Angeles’ Sylmar neighborhood without causing any structural damage or casualties. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and SCE stated it is cooperating with authorities.
In a separate filing, SCE addressed concerns about the deadly Eaton Fire in Altadena, which claimed at least 17 lives. The utility is investigating whether an inactive transmission line may have become energized, potentially sparking the fire. However, SCE asserted that there is no concrete evidence linking its equipment to the initiation of the Eaton Fire.
The utility is examining a video purportedly showing electrical arcing from a tower near the Eaton Fire’s origin. Preliminary findings from SCE revealed no signs of arcing, though some damage to equipment was noted. The utility is conducting a comparison of pre- and post-fire photographs to determine when the damage occurred.
Despite multiple lawsuits alleging that SCE’s equipment caused the Eaton Fire, the utility maintains that it is premature to draw conclusions. “SCE has not identified typical or obvious indications that would support this association, such as broken conductors, fresh arc marks in the preliminary origin area, or evidence of faults on the energized lines running through that area,” the company stated in a news release.
The Eaton Fire was fully contained last week, alongside the Palisades Fire, the largest of the recent blazes, which resulted in at least 12 deaths and widespread property destruction.
