SoCal Edison says its equipment "may be associated with the ignition" of January's Hurst Fire
Southern California Edison said Thursday that "its equipment may be associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire," and an investigation continues.
The California utility's statement came by way of a required filing with state utility regulators, responding to claims made by the Los Angeles Fire Department which suggest that SCE's equipment caused the Hurst Fire.
The Sylmar blaze was first reported on Jan. 7, hours after both the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire had already erupted elsewhere in Los Angeles County. The Hurst Fire burned nearly 800 acres but did not destroy any structures or result in any deaths.
A preliminary SCE investigation revealed that a circuit in the Eagle Rock/Sylmar area experienced a relay, or a glitch in the power at 10:11 p.m., just before the Hurst fire was reported. They also say that a downed conductor was found near an electrical tower. The company says it's unsure if the damage occurred before or after the fire broke out.
In California, any utility or power company must file a notice with the state's Public Utility Commission if there is any reason to believe that their equipment may have been the cause of a fire.
"The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and SCE continues to cooperate with authorities," the utility agency wrote.
In the Feb. 6 required filing, SCE also responded to its investigation into the origins of the Eaton Fire.
As information and videos from external sources suggest the Eaton Fire is connected to SCE's equipment, the utility company says it has not identified typical or obvious indications that support this claim – "such as broken conductors, fresh arc marks in the preliminary origin area, or evidence of faults on the energized lines running through that area."
"While we do not yet know what caused the Eaton wildfire, SCE is exploring every possibility in its investigation, including the possibility that SCE's equipment was involved," said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of SCE's parent company, Edison International.
