Southern California Edison told the California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 6 that it is reviewing videos suggesting a link between its equipment and the devastating Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, while also acknowledging its equipment may have sparked the smaller Hurst Fire. 

SCE said in a letter to the CPUC that a video published by the New York Times “appears to show two flashes of light in the Eaton Canyon area on the evening of January 7, 2025,” around the time the Eaton Fire started. The video led the utility to launch an internal investigation into whether there is a connection between the flashes and SCE’s equipment, according to the letter. 

“Information and data have come to light, such as videos from external parties of the fire’s early stages, suggesting a possible link to SCE’s equipment, which the company takes seriously,” the utility said in a news release. “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.” 

However, SCE acknowledged in a separate letter that its equipment may have sparked the Hurst Fire, which burned roughly 799 acres and damaged two homes. There were no reports of fatalities or injuries associated with the fire. The Los Angeles Fire Department is still investigating, and SCE said it is cooperating with the probe. 

Eaton Fire

SCE has three transmission towers, which collectively carry four active transmission lines, in the area where the Eaton Fire started. The lines were reenergized briefly Jan. 19, but field workers deenergized them again after noticing small flashes of white light upon each reenergization, according to SCE’s letter to CPUC. 

Before-and-after photos of one of the towers show no “obvious signs of arcing or material changes.” SCE said it expects to learn more after it can thoroughly inspect the structure.  

Photos from a different structure approximately “five circuit miles from the preliminary origin area” did find “signs of potential arcing and other damage on the grounding equipment for two of the three idle conductors,” SCE wrote in the letter to CPUC. 

“SCE does not know when this damage occurred, and a comparison between pre- and post-fire photographs is underway,” the letter stated. “SCE continues to assess these facilities, including any potential relation to the cause of the fire.” 

The utility said also it had not found any faults with the four energized transmission lines that run through the Eaton Canyon in the 12 hours before the reported start time of the fire. 

The Eaton Fire began shortly after 6 p.m. Jan. 7 and burned over 14,000 acres. The deadly fire engulfed parts of the Altadena community, with thousands of structures either damaged or destroyed. The flames claimed at least 17 lives, according to Cal Fire.  

SCE filed an incident report related to the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9 after receiving “significant media attention” and preservation notices from counsel representing insurance companies.  

A spokesperson for the utility told RTO Insider in January that “no fire agency has suggested that SCE facilities were involved in the ignition of the [Eaton] fire, and they have not requested the removal and retention of any of our equipment.” 

In its most recent update to the CPUC, SCE contended it has performed numerous inspections from 2020 through 2024 on its transmission facilities in the Eaton Canyon. 

The utility said it is evaluating several “potential causes,” including whether one of the lines became energized through, for example, induction. SCE is also investigating “human activity near the county’s preliminary area of origin.” 

SCE said the investigation could take several months to complete. 

If SCE’s equipment is found to be at fault, the utility’s credit rating could take a hit, Moody’s Ratings cautioned in a report Jan. 16, per Reuters. The report also said the company could see financial damage if the California Wildfire Fund runs out of money. Utilities pay into the fund to receive reimbursements for some wildfire claims.  

Additionally, legal challenges are already starting to trickle in. Some affected by the Eaton Fire have filed lawsuits against SCE, alleging the blaze began under one of the company’s transmission towers. SCE has also received preservation notices from counsel representing insurance companies.