Southern California Edison (SCE), part of Edison International, announced on Thursday that it is investigating if its equipment started two wildfires in the Los Angeles area this year.
Starting on January 7, severe wildfires swept through Los Angeles, causing many deaths and destroying thousands of houses. This disaster is predicted to be the most costly in U.S. history.
The Eaton Fire was one of the most damaging fires and affected places that receive power from SCE. This has been a key point in ongoing investigations into what started the fire.
SCE stated, “We’ve received new information, including videos from outside sources showing the early stages of the fire. This may connect to our equipment, and we take this very seriously.”
“SCE has not found common signs that would suggest this connection, like broken wires, new burn marks in the area where the issue started, or problems with the power lines nearby.”
SCE plans to lower power lines in the Altadena area to physically check if they might be connected to the start of the Eaton Fire. The company expected its investigation to take a few months.
SCE also shared a report on its investigation into the smaller Hurst Fire.
The company has a transmission tower called Tower 6, which is north of Saddle Ridge Road. This is where the Hurst Fire is said to have started, according to SCE.
“The company said they have not counted the damage to SCE facilities yet.” The company stated that they are still looking into what started the fire and will keep working with detectives.
The fire was reported on January 7 and was controlled by January 16 after burning around 799 acres.
SCE and other energy companies are facing more criticism after several wildfires burned large areas in Los Angeles. This is likely to be the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.
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