LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California utility said Thursday that its equipment may have sparked a small wildfire in Los Angeles that broke out the same day as two massive blazes in the area that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Southern California Edison said the Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating the cause of the Hurst Fire and believes the utility’s equipment caused the blaze, which did not destroy any structures or cause any deaths. In a required filing with state utility regulators, SCE said “absent additional evidence, SCE believes its equipment may be associated with ignition of the Hurst Fire.”
In a second filing, the utility said it is looking into whether an idle transmission line became energized and possibly sparked the deadly Eaton Fire, which also sparked Jan. 7 devastated Altadena. But it still maintains there’s no evidence that its equipment was responsible for starting that blaze.
Firefighters put out a hot spot at a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Altadena, Calif.(Source: AP Photo/John Locher) A worker surveys the damage from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.(Source: AP Photo/John Locher) A car drives past homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire at the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.(Source: AP Photo/Noah Berger) Homes and vehicles destroyed by the Palisades Fire line a mobile home park along the Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)(AP) Kevin Marshall sifts through his mother's fire-ravaged property in the the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.(Source: AP Photo/John Locher) Paul Perri and Michelle Miner search through their daughter's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.(Eric Thayer | AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Paul Perri searches through his daughter's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)(Eric Thayer | AP) Josh Lederer wears a mask to protect him from fumes as he retrieves his children's clothes from his fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)(Jae C. Hong | AP) A fire ravaged property is seen in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)(Eric Thayer | AP) Ari Rivera, right, and Anderson Hao and woman hold each other in front of their destroyed home in Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/John Locher)(John Locher | AP) The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)(Mark J. Terrill | AP) Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) Fallon Prockiw-Kline, center, gets emotional in front of her home which was damaged by the Palisades Fire, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)(Etienne Laurent | AP) A cyclist pedals past a burning structure on Lake Avenue, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)(Chris Pizzello | AP) Firefighters work a hydrant in front of the burning Bunny Museum, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)(Chris Pizzello | AP) Firefighters work from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)(Etienne Laurent | AP) Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) Fire crews battle the Eaton Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) A man walks past a fire-ravaged business after the Eaton Fire swept through Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.(Source: AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Eugene Garcia | AP Photo/Eugene Garcia) A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Etienne Laurent | AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Etienne Laurent | AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) A swimmer watches as a large dark plume of smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire from Pacific Palisades, in Santa Monica, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Richard Vogel | AP Photo/Richard Vogel) A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Ethan Swope | AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Ethan Swope | AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Water is dropped by helicopter on the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Etienne Laurent | AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in the downtown Altadena section of Pasadena, Calif.(Chris Pizzello | AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Ethan Swope | AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Ethan Swope | AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Thick heavy smoke from wildfires shrouds downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.(Richard Vogel | AP Photo/Richard Vogel) A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) The Eaton Fire burns vehicles and structures Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) A resident of a senior center is evacuated as the Eaton Fire approaches Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) The Palisades Fire burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) Residents of a senior center are evacuated as the Eaton Fire approaches Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) Residents of a senior center are evacuated as the Eaton Fire approaches Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(Ethan Swope | AP) The Palisades Fire burns vehicles and structures in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(AP) A structure is burned by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)(AP) The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.(Ethan Swope | AP Photo/Ethan Swope) The utility acknowledged last month that fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started the Hurst Fire, which scorched about 1.25 square miles (3.2 square km) around the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The utility said it is cooperating with investigators.
Regarding the Eaton Fire, SCE said it was reviewing a video that purports to show “flashes” of electrical arcing from a tower near where the blaze began. The utility said preliminary investigation found no evidence that arcing occurred, while acknowledging that some damage was found on related equipment.
“SCE does not know when this damage occurred and a comparison between pre- and post-fire photographs is underway,” the filing said.
Multiple lawsuits against SCE citing the video claim the utility’s equipment sparked the Eaton Fire, but the utility maintains that it’s still too early to make that determination.
“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 utility said in a news release announcing its filings.
The Eaton Fire, which killed at least 17 people, was fully contained last week. Full containment was also reached on the Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 12 people.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that Southern California Edison says its equipment may have caused the Hurst Fire, not that it likely caused the Hurst Fire.
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