Fire departments are examining if electrical equipment may have triggered a wildfire that burned hundreds of acres close to a northern Los Angeles suburb, as officials from the electric utility reported on Sunday.

Southern California Edison, part of Edison International and one of California’s largest electric providers, announced on Sunday that it submitted two reports regarding electrical safety incidents related to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County. Utility companies must report incidents that gain significant media coverage or are subject to government probes.

According to a report from Southern California Edison last week, the company filed an incident report after learning that fire agencies were looking into the possibility that their electrical equipment was involved in starting the Hurst Fire. Initial investigations showed that one of Edison’s circuits had a relay event at 10:11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, just one minute after the Hurst Fire was initially reported, based on the report’s findings.

Additionally, a fallen power line was discovered at a tower linked to the circuit.

“Southern California Edison is uncertain whether the observed damage happened before or after the fire ignited,” stated the report, emphasizing that investigations are still underway.

The Hurst Fire began near Sylmar, a residential area in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. By Sunday night, it had burned 799 acres and was reported to be 89% contained, as per Cal Fire.

This wildfire is among six that have emerged in the Los Angeles region since Tuesday, devastating communities and leaving extensive damage. As of Sunday, three of the six fires, including the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires, were still active.

Captain Adam Vangerpen of the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that a “coordinated investigation” is ongoing, involving various fire and law enforcement agencies, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, but no further details were provided.

As the investigation continues, meteorologists explained that the fires have been exacerbated by dry foliage, strong winds, and low humidity levels.

Electric Safety Incident Report Linked to Eaton Fire

Southern California Edison also noted that it filed a safety incident report regarding the Eaton Fire, which ravaged a large portion of Altadena, California, and is now mainly burning in the San Gabriel Mountains. The report was submitted on Thursday following significant media exposure and reported property damage exceeding $200,000.

The company also mentioned that it received requests from insurance firms to maintain evidence related to the fire, although no fire agencies have connected the utility to the cause of the blaze.

“Southern California Edison performed a preliminary analysis of electrical circuit data for the four active transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area,” the report states. “There were no interruptions or electrical anomalies detected in the 12 hours leading up to the fire’s start time and more than an hour afterward.”

Electric Utilities and Wildfires

A report from the California Public Utilities Commission in 2020 indicated that ignitions caused by electric utilities contribute to a significant share of wildfire-related impacts. In recent years, electric companies in California have faced various lawsuits tied to their role in significant wildfire incidents.

Southern California Edison agreed in 2021 to pay $550 million in fines and penalties related to fires ignited by its equipment, as reported by Reuters. The California Public Utilities Commission indicated that the Rye, Meyers, Liberty, Thomas, and Woolsey fires resulted in the destruction of over 385,000 acres, thousands of buildings, and five fatalities.

The Rye, Meyers, Liberty, and Thomas fires occurred in various areas serviced by Southern California Edison in December 2017, while the Woolsey Fire ignited in Ventura County in November 2018.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced in February 2024 that the company agreed to pay $80 million to settle claims from the U.S. Forest Service for costs and damages related to the 2017 Thomas Fire in the Los Padres National Forest.

In 2019, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. disclosed that it reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims of Northern California wildfires that took place between 2017 and 2018, including the Camp Fire that devastated the town of Paradise, resulting in 85 deaths and the destruction of tens of thousands of buildings.

Contributing: Charles Ventura, YSL News; Reuters