A report released Tuesday by Los Angeles County Fire officials states that an out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower caused the 2025 Eaton Fire through electrical arcing events. The investigation into the fire, which broke out on January 7, 2025, involved 18 months of review by electrical and metallurgical experts.
The fire was sparked by two electrical arcing events that caused burning material to fall from a tower, igniting dry grass and brush within 12 seconds. The blaze engulfed areas including the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and La Canada Flintridge.
The fire scorched 22 square miles and destroyed or damaged more than 9,000 homes and businesses. The Eaton Fire killed 19 people, 18 of whom lived in west Altadena.
Lawsuits and liability claims
In legal filings, Southern California Edison claimed that Los Angeles County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents in east and west Altadena. The utility also claimed that water agencies, including Pasadena Water and Power, did not provide enough water to firefighters. Los Angeles County declined to comment regarding the latest court filings.
We have taken our potential role in the start of this fire seriously.
Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, stated the utility had previously acknowledged its equipment was likely associated with the ignition of the Eaton Fire. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Los Angeles County Arson Fire Investigation Unit and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Context of recent Los Angeles fires
The Eaton Fire follows the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 homes and buildings in Pacific Palisades. The Palisades Fire was the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles to date and among the five worst in California's history.
The Palisades Fire was allegedly sparked by Jonathan Rinderknecht using a barbecue lighter on January 1, 2025. Rinderknecht is scheduled to be tried again this fall after a federal arson case involving him ended in a mistrial in June.
