Utility says its equipment likely started a small blaze that erupted during January's LA firestorm

A California utility company stated on Thursday (Friday AEST) that its equipment may have sparked a small wildfire in Los Angeles, occurring on the same day as two major fires in the region that resulted in at least 29 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes.

Southern California Edison acknowledged in a required filing to the state's public utility regulators that its equipment may have played a role in the Hurst Fire. This fire did not destroy any buildings or cause any fatalities. The company also stated it is investigating whether a de-energized power line was energized and may have ignited the Eaton Fire, which devastated Altadena.

However, the company maintains that there is no evidence to suggest its equipment caused the Eaton Fire. Last month, the company acknowledged that fire officials were investigating whether its equipment may have ignited the Hurst Fire, which burned approximately 3.2 square kilometers of land surrounding the Sylmar community of Los Angeles.

The Thursday filing stated, "In the absence of additional evidence, SCE believes that its equipment may have been associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire." The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the company stated that it is cooperating with investigators' efforts. Regarding the Eaton Fire, SCE stated that it is reviewing a video that purportedly shows a "flash" arcing on a tower near the fire's point of origin.

The company stated that preliminary investigations have not found evidence of arcing, but acknowledged that some damage was found on the relevant equipment. The filing stated, "SCE does not know when this damage occurred and is conducting comparisons of pre- and post-fire photographs." Multiple lawsuits against SCE cite the video, claiming that the company's equipment ignited the Eaton Fire, but the company insists it is too early to make that determination.

In a press release announcing its filing, the company stated, "SCE has not found the typical or obvious indications that would support such an association, such as a downed conductor, fresh arcing on vegetation in the area of origin, or evidence of a fault on the overhead lines through the area." The Eaton Fire, which resulted in at least 17 deaths, was fully contained last week. The Palisades Fire, the largest fire that destroyed thousands of homes and caused at least 12 deaths, has also been fully contained.