An out-of-service Southern California Edison transmission tower sparked the deadly January 2025 Eaton Fire north of Los Angeles, according to the final report released Tuesday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Los Angeles County Fire.
SoCal Edison power lines have long been suspected as the cause of the fire, and Edison officials have previously acknowledged in filings with state regulators that its equipment was a likely ignition source for the fire that left at least 19 people dead, destroyed nearly 9,000 structures and burned more than 14,000 acres.
The fire “was sparked by an electrical event” at an Edison transmission near the Eaton Wash, the report states.
“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,” the report continues. “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.”
The L.A. County Fire Department’s arson investigation unit conducted the investigation alongside Cal Fire.
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last fall sued SoCal Edison alleging the company’s negligence caused the Eaton Fire and another blaze, seeking to recover tens of millions of dollars in damage to thousands of acres of Angeles National Forest Land. The utility also has been sued by hundreds or residents impacted by the Eaton Fire.
Among the thousands of structures burned to the ground were a number of historic buildings used in movies and TV series.
The houses lost include the mansion seen on the multi-Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks, a 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival, with only its facade still standing.
Also destroyed was the Altadena Town & Country Club, seen in Mad Men, Starsky & Hutch, Van Wilder and The Wonder Years; the Eliot Arts Magnet Academy School from Rob Zombie’s Halloween; and the amphitheater from American Pie 2 and Ghost Whisperer.
You can read the entire report here.
City News Service contributed to this report.
