Southern California Edison, a power provider for about 15 million Californians, has mentioned that its equipment may have been the cause of the Hurst Fire and could potentially be linked to the Eaton Fire as well. These fires scorched around 124,000 and 800 acres, respectively, in Los Angeles County during the previous month.
SCE has officially informed the California Public Utilities Commission through two letters that while investigations are ongoing to determine the exact origins of the fires, initial findings point towards a possible association with SCE’s equipment, as stated in a press release by Edison International on Thursday.
Edison International’s president and CEO, Pedro J. Pizarro, expressed that despite not having confirmed the source of the Eaton Fire, SCE is considering all possibilities during its examination, including its equipment’s potential involvement. Pizarro emphasized the company’s full support in the emergency response, containment, recovery, and investigation efforts since the fires began.
The Los Angeles Police Department is the lead agency assigned to investigate the causes of both fires and determined the origins of the Hurst Fire to be linked to SCE’s equipment.
A view of burnt houses during the Eaton Fire in Altadena in Los Angeles County, California, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu )
The wildfires have so far burned 57,636 acres, destroyed 16,255 structures and left 29 people dead. Tens of thousands have been displaced after their homes were destroyed.
Global data analytics from Verisk estimates that insured losses will reach at least $28 billion — the costliest disaster in U.S. history.
