Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International, stated on Monday that its preliminary data analysis revealed a "momentary and expected increase in current" on its energized lines in the Eaton Canyon area on the evening of January 7.
Although fire officials have not found Southern California Edison directly responsible for the Los Angeles fires, the company's infrastructure is under investigation, and it faces several lawsuits claiming its equipment caused the devastating Eaton fire.
The company's statement came a day after a New York Times report featuring new video footage and analysis that pointed to Edison's equipment as potentially igniting the fire. In response, the company said it is reviewing the footage. Previously, Southern California Edison claimed that no fault was detected on its transmission lines until over an hour after the fire began.
In a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, the utility maintained that the current increase was within design limits and did not activate system protections on its lines. The Los Angeles County Fire Department, leading the investigation into the fire's cause, has identified a preliminary origin area and instructed the utility to preserve its transmission facilities near the site.
Since the fire broke out on January 7, the Eaton fire has burned 14,021 acres east of Los Angeles, destroyed 9,418 structures, damaged 1,073 others, and resulted in 17 fatalities. As of Monday, it was 99% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Southern California Edison confirmed it is cooperating with investigators and has gathered evidence from the Eaton Canyon site, including metal items near its towers and objects from an encampment 300 yards downhill from the location.
While the investigation continues, Jefferies analysts noted that the evidence strongly suggests Edison’s equipment was the fire’s source of ignition.Shares of Edison International dropped 1.8% in late afternoon trading.