The Los Angeles County Fire Department concluded in reports released Tuesday that electrical arcing on an out-of-service Southern California Edison tower sparked the January 2025 Eaton Fire.
Fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds, the Eaton Fire killed at least 19 people in the Altadena area, while destroying roughly 9,000 structures as it raged over more than 14,000 acres.
SCE power lines have long been suspected as the source of the fire, with numerous lawsuits already filed against the utility. SCE officials have acknowledged in filings with state regulators that its equipment was a likely ignition source for the blaze.
The official investigation into the cause of the blaze was conduct by the LACoFD Arson Fire Investigation Unit in conjunction with Cal Fire.
The report released Tuesday states that the fire “was sparked by an electrical event” at an SCE transmission tower near the Eaton Wash.
“Video evidence collected by the Eaton Fire Investigation Team revealed two electrical arcing events that occurred in quick succession, leading to an unknown burning material falling from the SCE tower’s location into the dry receptive fuel bed below,” the report states.
“The fuel bed ignited approximately 12 seconds after the burning material was seen falling from the arcing event,” it states. “The Eaton Fire rapidly developed into a conflagration, engulfing the areas of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and La Canada Flintridge. It was fully contained 24 days later, on Jan. 31, 2025.”
County fire officials said in a statement that under the California Public Utilities Code, SCE must maintain and operate its electrical lines “in a matter that would minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by them.”
“I recognize that no report or investigation into the Eaton Fire can ease the deep pain and tragedy our residents have endured,” county Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said in a statement. “While the cause has been determined, our focus remains on assisting our residents to rebuild their homes and livelihoods, and ensuring lessons learned drive meaningful and impactful change in memory of the 19 lives lost.”