LOS ANGELES — Sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison caused the 2025 Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses, Los Angeles County fire officials said in a report released Tuesday.
It took firefighters nearly a month to extinguish the blaze, which scorched 22 square miles. The Eaton Fire burned at the same time as the wind-whipped Palisades Fire. An AP analysis at the time showed both blazes torched more urban area than any California fire in decades.
The Eaton Fire was caused by electrical arcing on the utility’s out-of-service tower atop a ridge covered with dry fuel, the agency said in a statement. When bare, uninsulated wires touch or come close together it can cause arcing, which is when electricity jumps through the air, producing sparks.
The report said SoCal Edison was responsible for maintaining and operating its electrical lines and equipment “in a manner that would minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by them.”
Utility has acknowledged potential involvement
The utility indicated previously its equipment may be involved. In early reports to the California Public Utility Commission, SoCal Edison said it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started.
Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for SoCal Edison, said the utility is reviewing the report.
“We have taken our potential role in the start of this fire seriously from the very beginning,” Dunleavy said.
Dunleavy added the utility has claims against other agencies over issues such as emergency response and the condition of surrounding vegetation.
SoCal Edison claimed in lawsuits earlier this year that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents in east and west Altadena. Eighteen of the 19 people who died in the fire lived in west Altadena.
“Ignition is different from spread,” Dunleavy said. “A fire of that magnitude — it’s never just one thing. There are numerous factors.”
Attorney Gerald Singleton, whose firm represents some Eaton Fire victims in pending civil cases against SoCal Edison, said the report confirms that the utility’s failure to maintain its equipment caused the blaze.
“For 18 months, Edison tried to shift blame onto county evacuation warnings and local water agencies instead of owning its own equipment’s failure,” Singleton said in a statement. “We will continue to fight for full accountability and fair compensation for the survivors we represent.”
Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, said the report confirms what thousands of fire victims already knew about what caused the blaze.
“The real question is who pays?” asked Chen, whose home sustained smoke damage.
Utilities have been blamed for many of California’s most destructive fires in recent years.
SoCal Edison, which provides electric service to about 15 million people in California, has paid out hefty sums due to its equipment sparking fires, including $2.2 billion to settle insurance claims from the deadly, destructive Woolsey wildfire in 2018.
The utility is facing hundreds of lawsuits from fire victims, insurers and government entities related to the Eaton Fire. The U.S. Justice Department has also sued the company over damage to national forestland and has asked for more than $40 million in damages to the federal, state and local governments.
Attorney Mira Hashmall, who is representing Los Angeles County in Eaton Fire-related litigation, said the report shows what “Edison knew all along.”
“Enough of Edison’s strategy of delaying justice for the victims of the fire and blaming first responders despite their best efforts to protect lives and property,” Hashmall said in a statement.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that it will review the investigative report and will work with local, state and federal authorities to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. The California Department of Justice didn’t immediately comment.
Another California utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, filed for bankruptcy after its outdated equipment ignited wildfires in California that killed more than 100 people and wiped out entire towns, including Paradise. The utility pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire.
The Los Angeles County Arson Fire Investigation Unit jointly conducted the Eaton Fire investigation with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The blaze was sparked during extreme weather conditions that included high temperatures, low humidity and powerful winds. Two “electrical arcing events” occurred in quick succession, causing an unknown burning material to fall from the tower to the ground below, according to the report.
Investigators interviewed residents who saw flames
The report cites interviews with several residents who saw the fire in its early stages on Jan. 7, some who said it occurred below power lines. One witness who noticed flames under an electrical tower said “he observed an arc while watching the fire; he described it as a blue light,” the report said. The witness began taking photos around 6:25 p.m., then watched as the blaze spread rapidly amid heavy winds.
Another Pasadena resident told investigators she was doing dishes with her daughter when she observed a circle of orange sparks that turned into flames. “The circle of fire was located at the base of the transmission towers,” the report said.
Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said, “While the cause has been determined, our focus remains on assisting our residents to rebuild their homes and livelihoods, and ensuring lessons learned drive meaningful and impactful change in memory of the 19 lives lost.”
The Palisades Fire was the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles to date and among the five worst in California’s history. That fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings in Pacific Palisades. The fire ripped through hillside neighborhoods, destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views.
The man accused of sparking the Palisades Fire will be tried again this fall after his first federal arson case ended in a mistrial in June. Prosecutors said Jonathan Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter on Jan. 1, 2025, to spark a blaze that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up Jan. 7.
