Following the destructive wildfires across Los Angeles County last month, Southern California Edison has disclosed that its equipment might have played a role in sparking the Hurst Fire in Sylmar, according to documents shared with state utility regulators and obtained by ABC7. The utility made this known in its most recent filing, admitting that it was likely their hardware that initiated the 800-acre burn on January 7, a revelation that came alongside ongoing investigations into the involvement of its equipment in the separate, deadly Eaton Fire, with details outlined in a report by KTLA.
While SoCal Edison maintains there is no conclusive evidence yet that associates their infrastructure directly with the Eaton Fire, which resulted in at least 17 fatalities it is facing multiple lawsuits claiming otherwise, NBC Los Angeles reports. In the aftermath of the blazes, the utility has been heavily involved in supporting not only emergency response and containment but also the community's recovery efforts, said Pedro J. Pizarro, president, and CEO of Edison International, the parent company of SoCal Edison.
Despite the damage, the Hurst Fire did not lead to any loss of human life nor the demolition of homes, however, it brought forth uneasy comparisons to the Saddleridge Fire of 2019, which also erupted nearby, igniting under a high-voltage transmission tower as detailed in ABC7's coverage. Locals have echoed concern over the role of power lines in such incidents, with one resident, Ana Vazquez, capturing the explosive moment that presaged the Hurst Fire's flames.
The concerns around SoCal Edison's potential role in the Eaton Fire remain as the cause continues under thorough investigation, with the utility examining videos and grid data for insights, such assessment includes evaluating whether an idle power line had become energized before triggering the conflagration, as opposed to a downed conductor, fresh arc marks, or faults on energized lines that SCE typically seeks as indicators of their equipment's involvement, explained in the regulatory filing and reported by CBS News. "While we do not yet know what caused the Eaton wildfire, SCE is exploring every possibility in its investigation, including the possibility that SCE's equipment was involved," Pizarro stated.
