Southern California Edison's equipment may have started major wildfire: CEO

Southern California Edison, an electrical institution providing powerfulness to immoderate 15 cardinal Californians, said its instrumentality whitethorn person started the Hurst Fire and is looking into a imaginable transportation to the Eaton Fire, arsenic well. The Eaton and Hurst fires burned astir 124,000 and 800 acres, respectively, successful Los Angeles County past month.

SCE submitted 2 letters to the California Public Utilities Commission connected Thursday stating that portion the authoritative origins of some fires are inactive nether investigation, preliminary accusation suggests a imaginable nexus to SCE’s equipment, Edison International said successful a Thursday property release.

"While we bash not yet cognize what caused the Eaton wildfire, SCE is exploring each anticipation successful its investigation, including the anticipation that SCE’s instrumentality was involved," Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO Edison International, said successful a Thursday statement. "We person been afloat engaged since the commencement of the fires successful supporting the broader exigency response, containment, betterment and probe efforts."

The Los Angeles Police Department is the pb bureau assigned to analyse the causes of some fires and determined the origins of the Hurst Fire to beryllium linked to SCE's equipment.

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In an aerial view, residential areas destroyed by the Eaton Fire are seen connected Jan. 19, 2025 successful Altadena, California. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Edison International is moving to get grid data, attraction records, photos and videos to find however a occurrence whitethorn person ignited from its equipment, according to the property release.

Residents person truthful acold filed 40 lawsuits against SCE successful the aftermath of the fires, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"Southern California Edison yet admitted what occurrence attorneys similar maine person known for weeks: that they were the origin of the Hurst Fire," Neama Rahmani, an lawyer representing victims of the Eaton Fire, told Fox News Digital. "Now it’s clip for Edison to judge work for the Eaton Fire that caused thousands of Pasadena and Altadena homeowners and renters to suffer their homes and caused tens of billions of dollars successful damage. "

Rahmani noted that "Edison’s lawyers person sent a missive implying that a stateless encampment hundreds of yards from root of the Eaton occurrence whitethorn person been the cause."

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A pistillate reacts arsenic she evacuates pursuing almighty winds fueling devastating wildfires successful the Los Angeles area, astatine the Eaton Fire successful Altadena, California, U.S. Jan. 8, 2025. (David Swanson)

"You don’t person to beryllium a occurrence adept to cognize that it was caused by Edison’s tower.  We’ve each seen the pictures and videos of the sparks astatine apical of the tower, causing the adust vegetation beneath to ignite," helium said. "Instead of doing the close thing, Edison has chosen to excavation successful their heels and litigate. We and our clients are acceptable for the fight."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Edison International.

SCE anticipates the afloat probe into the origins of the occurrence volition instrumentality months to complete.

A firefighter battles flames astatine the Eaton Fire connected Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 successful Altadena, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

"Edison International and SCE person been portion of this assemblage for astir 140 years," Pizarro said. "As we enactment to rebuild, SCE’s ongoing investments successful wildfire prevention and mitigation, including undergrounding and hardening the grid successful high-risk areas volition continue, and if necessary, beryllium expanded."

SCE unit members, contractors and communal assistance unit person installed 400,000 feet of powerfulness lines (approximately 75 miles); acceptable 1,265 poles; and replaced 380 transformers since Jan. 31. SCE besides opened 24 lawsuit work locations during the windstorm, according to Edison International. 

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A presumption of burnt houses during the Eaton Fire successful Altadena successful Los Angeles County, California, connected Jan. 9, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu )

The wildfires person truthful acold burned 57,636 acres, destroyed 16,255 structures and near 29 radical dead. Tens of thousands person been displaced aft their homes were destroyed.

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Global information analytics from Verisk estimates that insured losses volition scope at slightest $28 billion — the costliest catastrophe successful U.S. history.