Brief Overview:
- Southern California Edison (SCE) reported that its equipment might be linked to some wildfires in the Los Angeles area last month, as per documents submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.
- The company is looking into a possible connection to the Eaton Fire in Altadena, though no clear evidence has yet emerged to confirm its equipment sparked the blaze, stated Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International.
- SCE suspects its equipment could be related to a smaller fire, the Hurst Fire, in Sylmar, located to the northwest of Altadena.
Key Insights:
In a video statement released on Thursday, Pizarro described early footage of the Eaton Fire as “concerning,” hinting at a potential link to SCE’s equipment. However, the investigation into the cause of the fire, which devastated 14,000 acres, destroyed 9,400 structures, and resulted in 17 fatalities, has yet to conclude definitively.
According to SCE, the investigation is particularly complicated as it focuses on possible ignition causes that are rare and different from typical issues seen with energized facilities, such as line faults, vegetation contact with lines, or clear equipment failures.
Video evidence associated with a New York Times article appears to depict two flashes of light in Eaton Canyon, where the fire began. Yet, SCE noted there have been no signs of arcing in the canyon’s equipment.
Reports indicate that potential arcing and damage were found on grounding equipment situated about five circuit miles away from the suspected fire origin site. The timeline regarding when this damage took place remains unclear, as electrical data from the transmission lines in the canyon showed no irregularities until an hour after the fire reportedly started.
After the fire ignited, SCE’s protective systems shut down several transmission lines, and electrical workers observed flashes of light when those lines were re-energized. These lines had been de-energized due to high winds prior to the fire.
Additionally, SCE collected evidence of an encampment in Eaton Canyon as part of its investigation.
For the Hurst Fire, SCE noted damage to the insulator strings and conductors of transmission towers near Saddle Ridge Road, where officials believe the fire began. This smaller fire burned approximately 799 acres and damaged two homes.
SCE is cooperating with various authorities investigating these fires and is also engaging with attorneys representing plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against them, although the total number of lawsuits remains unspecified.
The wildfires also caused damage to SCE’s facilities, but the company has not yet provided an estimate for the extent of that damage.