Edison Asked by Investigators to Preserve Gear at Eaton Fire (1)

Fire investigators have asked Southern California Edison Co. to preserve its equipment near the site where the deadly Eaton fire began earlier this month.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department, the lead agency investigating the blaze, asked the utility to “preserve in place its transmission facilities,” Edison International’s Southern California utility said in a letter to state regulators Monday.

Transmission towers in Eaton Canyon.

Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg

The Eaton fire is now 98% contained, and is responsible for destroying more than 9,400 structures and causing 17 deaths, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. It’s one of the major Los Angeles blazes that have forced thousands of people to evacuate and are considered one of the worst natural disasters in modern US history.

Edison shares fell as much as 4.3% Monday in New York. The stock has tumbled more than 25% since the fires broke out Jan. 7.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but they have identified a “preliminary origin area” in Eaton Canyon that’s near three Edison transmission towers, according to the letter. Edison said it also received a request from Cal Fire for data and records related to the transmission facilities.

A transmission tower in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 16.

Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg

Read More: Edison Move to Keep LA Power Lines Operating Draws Scrutiny

Edison has repeatedly said it hadn’t detected any issues on its transmission lines near the fire’s origin. In its filing Monday, the utility said its analysis has found that a fault occurred before the start of the fire on a geographically distant line that caused an increase in current on its energized lines in Eaton Canyon. That increase remained within design limits and operating criteria for the circuits and didn’t trigger system protection on the lines, Edison said.

The company is already facing a lawsuit over the death of a woman whose home was destroyed by the blaze, while another recent suit alleges the fire was ignited by a powerful electric arccreated by the utility’s equipment.

Edison said it is reviewing a recently obtained surveillance video that appears to show two flashes of light in the Eaton Canyon area on the evening of the fire’s start. The company said its preliminary probe uncovered no obvious damage to its facilities, and it will continue to look at its equipment based on the new video and statements made by victim attorneys alleging damage.

The utility said it has collected evidence from Eaton Canyon, including metal items found near the ground near the towers and items from an encampment located about 300 yards downhill from the tower.

Edison said it’s complying with investigators’ requests.

(Updates with additional details starting in fourth paragraph)

To contact the reporters on this story:
Will Wade in New York at wwade4@bloomberg.net;
Mark Chediak in San Francisco at mchediak@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Brian Eckhouse at beckhouse@bloomberg.net

Jeff Sutherland

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