Utility’s idle transmission tower caused 2025 Eaton fire that killed 19, Los Angeles officials say
Fire officials said an 18-month review found electrical arcing on an out-of-service Southern California Edison tower sparked the blaze that killed 19 people.
- Los Angeles County Fire officials released a report Tuesday identifying an out-of-service Southern California Edison tower as the cause of the Eaton Fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes and businesses.
- After 18 months of thorough investigation with electrical and metallurgical experts, investigators concluded that electrical arcing on the inactive tower sparked the fire on Jan. 7, 2025, concurrent with the destructive Palisades Fire.
- Eighteen of the 19 victims lived in west Altadena, the hardest-hit area. The blaze scorched 22 square miles, destroying or damaging more than 9,000 homes and businesses across the region.
- SoCal Edison claimed in lawsuits earlier this year that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to Altadena residents. The utility also alleged that Pasadena Water and Power provided insufficient water resources as the fire spread.
- The Eaton Fire burned simultaneously with the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades, California. The Palisades Fire remains the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history.
175 Articles
175 Articles
Fire Department report: Edison equipment started Eaton Fire
By Signal Staff The Los Angeles County Fire Department has released “initial and supplemental investigative reports” identifying the cause of the Eaton Fire that started Jan. 7, 2025, and the county’s conclusion is that Southern California […]
Cause determined in the deadly 2025 Eaton Fire in Southern California: Officials - Regional Media News
(NEW YORK) - More than 18 months after it ignited and became one of the most destructive wildfires in U.S. history, authorities announced the cause of the 2025 Eaton Fire in Southern California. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) on Tuesday released a report blaming the Eaton Fire on electrical arcing events that took place on an out-of-service Southern Californ…
Behind the California Wildfires: The Search for Answers Is Coming Into Focus
Cars destroyed by the Eaton Fire sit in the parking area of a burned auto shop on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California. —Justin Sullivan—Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles County Fire Department on Tuesday found the utility company Southern California Edison (SoCal Edison) responsible for the Eaton Fire, which ravaged more than 14,000 acres, destroyed over 9,000 homes and businesses, and killed 19 people in the cities of Altadena and Pasadena, Califor…
Authorities Determine The Source Of Last Year’s Eaton Fire In Altadena
Source: Mario Tama / Getty Last year, California’s Eaton Fire killed 19 people and decimated the historically Black neighborhood of Altadena. A year and a half after the fire started, officials in California have finally identified the source of the fire. According to The New York Times, a report from the Los Angeles County Fire Department claims the fire was started by an inactive transmission tower belonging to the utility company Southern Ca…
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