Southern California Edison equipment blamed for deadly 2025 Eaton fire

An out-of-service Southern California Edison tower sparked the deadly 2025 Eaton fire in Los Angeles, fire officials concluded in a report released Tuesday. The blaze killed 19 people and devastated more than 9,000 homes and businesses across 22 square miles.

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After 18 months of thorough review of all evidence, alongside retained electrical and metallurgical experts, the investigation concluded that the cause of the wildfire conflagration was due to the electrical arcing events that took place on the out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower.

Los Angeles County Fire officials determined that electrical arcing events on the inactive SCE tower ignited dry brush below. The investigation, a joint effort with Cal Fire, found the utility responsible for maintaining its equipment to minimize wildfire risks. The fire ignited during extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

Southern California Edison, which is reviewing the report, previously admitted its equipment was likely involved. A spokesperson stated the utility takes its potential role seriously and continues to support community recovery. The utility has also sued Los Angeles County agencies, alleging failures in timely evacuation warnings and insufficient water supply, which it claims hampered firefighting efforts. Eighteen of the fire's 19 victims resided in west Altadena.

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We have taken our potential role in the start of this fire seriously from the very beginning.

Los Angeles County declined to comment on the utility's court filings. The report details how two rapid electrical arcing events on the tower caused burning material to fall, igniting the dry grass and brush within seconds. The fire quickly spread through the San Gabriel Mountains and surrounding communities, taking over two weeks to fully contain.

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it was likely our equipment was associated with the ignition of the Eaton Fire.