The cause of the deadly 2025 Eaton fire in Los Angeles has been determined to be Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment, according to a report released by fire officials. This was reported by infohub.kz.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department's report found that the fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed or damaged more than 9,000 homes and businesses, was caused by an electrical arc on a tower that was not in service. The investigation took 18 months and involved electrical and metallurgical experts.
It took firefighters nearly a month to extinguish the blaze, which scorched 57 square kilometers. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, said the utility has received the report and is reviewing it. She noted that the company had previously acknowledged that its equipment was likely associated with the ignition of the Eaton Fire.
The utility has also filed lawsuits claiming that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents, and that water agencies did not provide enough water during the fire.
The investigation found that electrical arcing on the out-of-service tower ignited dry brush below. Two arcing events occurred in quick succession, causing burning material to fall to the ground. Within 12 seconds, the fire spread, engulfing the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and La Cañada Flintridge. It took more than two weeks to fully contain the fire.
The Eaton Fire occurred at the same time as the Palisades Fire, the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history. The Palisades Fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes. The trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting the Palisades Fire, will be retried in November after a mistrial.