Southern California Edison (SCE) reported Thursday that its equipment likely initiated the Hurst Fire that burned approximately 800 acres in Los Angeles County's Sylmar neighborhood last month.
In a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, SCE disclosed that the Los Angeles Fire Department traced the fire's origin to an area near one of the utility's transmission towers where downed power lines were discovered.
According to SCE's investigation, hardware supporting insulator strings on the tower failed, causing top phase conductors to fall onto middle phase lines. Both sets of lines ultimately fell to the ground at the tower's base. The company has since repaired the damaged equipment and preserved the materials for ongoing investigation.
The Hurst Fire began around 10 PM on January 7 during strong Santa Ana winds, the same day that the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires also started in the region. While the Hurst Fire damaged two homes, no injuries were reported before it was fully contained on January 16.
"The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating the fire and has suggested SCE's equipment caused the Hurst fire," said Paul Pimentel of SCE in the regulatory filing. The utility acknowledged its equipment's likely role while noting that additional evidence may still emerge.
The company continues to investigate any potential connection between its infrastructure and the deadly Eaton Fire, which claimed 17 lives. However, SCE maintains there is currently no clear evidence linking its equipment to that blaze's ignition.
The damaged equipment from the Hurst Fire site remains in SCE's possession as part of the ongoing investigation by fire authorities to definitively determine the fire's cause.