Southern California Edison disclosed that its equipment may have been “involved” in the Eaton and Hurst wildfires that tore through Southern California last month, as the Los Angeles Fire Department continues investigating.
Southern California Edison (SCE), a subsidiary of Edison International, submitted two letters to the California Public Utilities Commission indicating its equipment might be linked to one, if not several, of the fires, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Investigators with the Los Angeles Fire Department have suggested a possible connection to the Hurst fire, while the cause of the Eaton fire remains under review.
“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,” Edison Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro said.
However, the company reported it hadn’t discovered typical signs of equipment failures, such as broken conductors, raising additional questions about what specifically triggered the damage. Meanwhile, fire department personnel have shared that their own examination into the Hurst fire prompted them to evaluate the condition of transmission lines and other potential ignition causes.
While the possibility of a link to Southern California Edison’s equipment remains under review in both incidents, officials have noted that further investigation may stretch on for several months. Past wildfire cases in the region have proven complex, occasionally requiring extended collaboration between state regulators, legal teams, and the utilities themselves.
As inquiries continue, Southern California Edison has said it will offer updates on its inspections and any findings that could help determine how these fires began.
