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Yahoo
28-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Power line had increase in current on day of Eaton Fire, California utility says
High-voltage power lines saw a temporary surge in electrical current in the area where the deadly Eaton Fire is believed to have started following a "fault" on a line elsewhere in the region's transmission network, Southern California Edison said Monday. While the fault, or disturbance, occurred several miles away on a power line that does not traverse Eaton Canyon, it was detected at 6:11 p.m. on Jan. 7, the utility said in a filing with state public utilities regulators. That was only minutes before authorities received initial reports of a wind-fueled fire originating in the canyon at 6:18 p.m. "The fault on this geographically distant line caused a momentary and expected increase in current on SCE's transmission system, including on the four energized lines" in Eaton Canyon, the utility said, adding, "The current increase remained within the design limits and operating criteria for these circuits and, as intended, did not trigger system protection on these lines." The cause of the Eaton Fire, which raced down the canyon and ravaged the foothill communities of Altadena and Pasadena, remains under investigation. Southern California Edison is at the center of a wave of negligence and wrongful death lawsuits after videos taken by residents showed the flames illuminating the base of one of the utility's electrical towers clustered on a hillside, just as hurricane-force Santa Ana winds tore through the region. While the utility said it did de-energize power distribution lines that serve homes in the area about two hours before the Eaton Fire started, the transmission lines in Eaton Canyon were not shut off because those towers are stronger and can operate at heavier winds. New video also emerged over the weekend taken from a nearby gas station surveillance camera around the time of the fire and obtained by Edelson PC, a law firm suing Southern California Edison. The footage purports to show electrical arcs and sparking from a transmission tower in Eaton Canyon, and the orange glow of flames appearing about 10 minutes later. In its filing Monday, the utility told state regulators it is reviewing the video to assess any connection. "While our preliminary investigation uncovered no obvious damage to SCE's facilities, based in part upon this new video and statements made by plaintiffs' counsel claiming damage, we continue to assess the condition of our equipment in Eaton Canyon," the utility added. Utility officials also said they are preserving materials at the scene of the towers as requested by the various lawsuits, and some plaintiffs "have requested that the transmission lines attached to the transmission towers be lowered for further visual inspection and remain de-energized until that can be accomplished." "This is a complex request due to the challenging terrain and lack of accessibility in this area," the utility said, adding that it is still working to return power to homes in Altadena. A judge ordered materials to be preserved after Altadena resident Evangeline Iglesias, a plaintiff in a lawsuit, accused the utility of planning to discard damaged distribution equipment that may hold clues to the fire's origin. "It's only by sheer luck this footage exists," Jay Edelson, founder of Edelson PC, which is representing Iglesias, said in a statement about the gas station surveillance video. He added that there will be evidence at trial that "we believe will prove why this arcing occurred." The utility has previously said it will review the complaints, and that 'our hearts remain with our communities during the devastating fires in Southern California, and we remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time.' Utility spokesman David Eisenhauer said Tuesday that the gas station footage will require 'very careful analysis,' and the company's investigation will continue with transparency. At least 29 people have died in the multiple wildfires that erupted this month in the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of homes and causing billions of dollars in damage. The Eaton Fire, which burned through more than 14,000 acres, was 99% contained as of Tuesday, fire officials said. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Power lines over Eaton Canyon saw surge in current before fire, Edison says
Four Southern California Edison lines over Eaton Canyon saw a momentary increase of electrical current about the same time the destructive Eaton fire is believed to have ignited on Jan. 7, the utility company told state regulators in a filing Monday. The incident, according to the filing, happened after Edison's Eagle Rock-Gould line — about five miles away from the suspected start of the fire — experienced a fault, sending the increase of current across the company's transmission system. Edison officials in the filing said the current increase "remained within the design limits and operating criteria for these circuits and, as intended, did not trigger system protection on these lines." Read more: Investigators study Eaton Canyon electrical tower area as possible origin of Altadena fire But that equipment is now part of an expanded court order for Southern California Edison to preserve data and equipment that could shed some light as to what exactly caused the blaze. According to an agreement reached Monday between attorneys representing the utility company and attorneys from the firm Edelson PC, which is representing an Altadena woman who lost her home in the fire, that equipment will remain preserved for at least 21 days so it can be examined. "It's not a coincidence," Ali Moghaddas, an attorney with Edelson PC, said about the close time between the reported fault and the start of the Eaton fire. "That six-mile stretch from the point of origin to the fault, that will remain untouched for 21 days." According to the agreement, Edison will preserve and not alter towers and transmission lines for Goodrich-Gould, Eagle Rock-Mesa, Mesa-Vincent No.1, Mesa-Vincent No. 2 and Mesa-Sylmer circuits in Eaton Canyon, all the way to the Gould substation. It will also preserve the Eagle Rock-Gould circuit between the Eagle Rock and Gould substations, which attorneys for the plaintiffs said are connected to the fault disclosed by Edison on Monday. Read more: Late evacuation orders in Altadena raise haunting question: Could more lives have been spared? In court Monday, Edison attorneys initially opposed expansion of a temporary restraining order, which told the company to preserve data and equipment related to the blaze around the suspected point of origin, and a 1-square mile area in eastern Altadena. Douglas Dixon, an attorney representing Edison, described the request to expand the order as excessive and overly broad, referring to it as "whack-a-mole." After a brief recess, attorneys for Edison returned with a proposal to also preserve for 21 days the equipment connected to this fault. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Edison, said the company's preliminary investigation revealed no faults or damage to the transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area. She added the company has continued to inspect their equipment, including more distant lines interconnected with the system Eaton Canyon, where they discovered the Jan. 7 fault that occurred at about 6:11 p.m. Read more: Edison says encampment found near area where Eaton fire started; critics doubt it sparked fire "However, the impact on the canyon was well within the standard parameters," Dunleavy said. "This is part of our investigation process." According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, the first reports of the fire came in at 6:18 p.m. Asked if such an incident could cause arcing or sparks in the system five miles away, Dunleavy said incidents like that are common and can be observed in the company's electric grid. "We filed the update as part of our commitment to transparency," she said. The new court order, and report from Southern California Edison, also comes as the utility giant is continuing to face increased scrutiny over whether its equipment may have played a role in sparking a fire that has burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed more than 9,400 structures, and killed 17 people. Read more: Four lawsuits filed against Southern California Edison over Eaton fire It also comes after one of the firms suing the company, Edelson PC, released a new video that appears to show flashes from the Southern California Edison tower, possible arcing and sparks, just moments before the hillside is ignited, and the fire begins to quickly spread across the canyon and toward homes. Residents who live near Eaton Canyon electrical towers have shared videos in the past week showing the early flames burning at the base of one of the towers. The video released Sunday, however, appeared to show signs of flashes in the dark hillside where the towers are located. Moments later, the fire appears to begin to burn. Edison officials shared the video with investigators over the weekend. An official cause of the fire has not been determined, but investigators have zeroed in on an electrical transmission tower in Eaton canyon that has been examined by fire investigators. That tower, residents and witnesses told the times, is where the first flames were first spotted at its base. An investigator with Cal Fire told The Times the area near the tower was being investigated as part of the start of the fire. The area remained off limits to the utility, fire agencies and the news media until Jan. 16. The area has remained the focus of the investigation, as billions of dollars could be at stake after the fire leveled entire neighborhoods. Fire investigators are continuing to look at the area and the electrical equipment. Last week, Cal Fire investigators also requested data and records from Edison regarding transmission facilities in the area, according to Edison's filing with the state commission. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
Eaton Fire cause: New video appears to show origin of deadly blaze
LOS ANGELES - New surveillance video suggests the deadly Eaton Fire may have been sparked by one of Southern California Edison's (SCE) power lines. The new video was obtained by the law firm Edelson PC from a gas station nearby. While investigators are still working to determine the official cause, Edelson PC founder, Jay Edelson, alleges this real-time video is the strongest evidence yet, that suggests the Eaton Fire started at an SCE transmission tower. In the edited video, attorneys for Edelson allege that the video shows arcing and sparks falling onto the dry hillside. A few minutes later, there is a flash of light, and within 10 minutes, the hillside begins to burn. Edelson PC has submitted a supplemental filing in support of its efforts to prevent SCE from destroying any critical evidence as authorities work to investigate the cause of the blaze. Edelson said they are asking a court to expand its existing order to encompass key physical evidence of the cause of the fire shown in the video. "It's only by sheer luck this footage exists, as SCE's very first move was to plot the destruction or alteration of key evidence, including evidence that at trial we believe will prove why this arcing occurred. Instead of embracing transparency, SCE has misled the public—disingenuously suggesting they had de-energized the relevant lines and even stooping so low as to blame a homeless encampment for the devastation," Jay Edelson, founder of Edelson PC said in a statement. The legal and advocacy group of LA Fire Justice, which includes consumer advocate Erin Brockovich, held a press briefing to share additional videos, pictures, and graphic renderings of the possible origin of the Eaton Fire. Their findings concluded that the origin of the fire was the base of transmission line #3 and the transmission line was energized by SCE equipment. "There was an entire community that was leveled by Southern California Edison's equipment. It did not have to happen, it should have not happened, it's a repeat offender from the standpoint of Thomas, Woolsey, Bobcat, and now this," said trial lawyer Mikal Watts. SCE said they received the video on Saturday from the New York Times and immediately shared it with fire investigators. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for SCE, said the video needs to be analyzed more, and it is premature to comment and speculate on what that footage means. "Southern California Edison is committed to transparency, and we're committed to conducting this investigation in a thorough manner. This is an ongoing investigation and we are at a very early stage right now. Our hearts go out to everyone in Southern California who's been impacted by these wildfires," Dunleavy said to reporters Monday. RELATED:Eaton Fire: Lawsuit filed against Southern California Edison Multiple lawsuits have been filed against SCE alleging they failed to comply with essential electrical and fire safety standards, including failing to maintain power lines and overgrown vegetation. The Eaton Fire has burned 14,021 acres in Altadena and Pasadena since Jan. 7, leaving at least 17 people dead, according to Cal Fire. Nine firefighters were injured battling the blaze. It has destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged another 1,073.
CNN
27-01-2025
- CNN
Video of sparks point to Eaton fire's origins, lawsuit says
Video from a gas station security camera shows what a new filing in a lawsuit alleges is the start of this month's deadly Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area – electrical sparking at a utility transmission tower in the hilly Eaton Canyon area near the Altadena community. The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles. The suit alleges SCE equipment caused the Eaton Fire, which has killed 17 people, injured nine firefighters, and damaged or destroyed 10,491 structures – making it the second-most destructive and fifth-most deadly wildfire in the state's history – since it began January 7. The video also is mentioned in a court filing from the firm Monday, asking a court to order SCE to preserve certain physical evidence the plaintiff alleges may show the cause of the sparking. The cause of the Eaton Fire remains under investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and no official cause has been determined. SCE had said January 12 an analysis of four energized lines in the Eaton Canyon area showed 'no interruptions or operational/electrical anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire's reported start time until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire.' But the video obtained by law firm Edelson PC shows what the firm believes was the start of the fire. The video from the gas station camera, which CNN verified is located at 1633 North Altadena Drive in Pasadena and points in the direction of the fire, shows what appear to be electrical sparks on power lines on the evening of January 7. 'This investigation has unearthed video evidence of SCE's equipment in Eaton Canyon arcing and sparking, followed by an eruption of flames, all at 6:11pm on January 7, 2025 - the precise moment the Eaton Fire began,' the law firm claimed in Monday's court filing. A timestamp on the video reads January 8, 2025, at 2:10 a.m. The law firm explained the time shown is in Coordinated Universal Time, which is 8 hours ahead of Pacific Time, or January 7 at 6:10 p.m. State investigators have said the Eaton Fire started on January 7 at 6:18 p.m. The video then jumps to a visual the edited version claims to be 'ten minutes later,' but the earlier timestamp on the video is no longer visible because the video has been zoomed in. A fire is seen in the distance and a fire truck can be seen driving in the direction of the fire. 'This is the clearest and most damning evidence yet — real-time video from a gas station security camera showing Southern California Edison's power lines igniting the fire,' Jay Edelson, founder of Edelson PC, the law firm involved, said in a news release. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson with Southern California Edison, told CNN on Sunday it is too premature to determine what exactly the video shows. 'This is an ongoing investigation and every piece of information is crucial. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and are committed to a thorough process,' Dunleavy told The New York Times, which first reported the news of the video. Other video, captured from nearby residents and shared with CNN, shows what appears to be the moments the flames from the Eaton Fire began and spread. Pedro Rojas took video from the backyard of his Pasadena home around 6:24 p.m. on January 7 and told CNN within the next 20 minutes he and his family were evacuated. Flames can be seen at the base of an electrical transmission tower at 6:24 p.m., and by 6:41 p.m. he and his family evacuated, he said. Plumes of smoke can be seen billowing out of the area as gusts of wind can be heard throughout the video. The Los Angeles Times previously quoted an investigator with Cal Fire as saying the area around a hillside transmission tower was off limits because it was under investigation as 'the start of the Eaton Fire.' Altadena residents Jennifer and Marcus Errico captured photos around 6:15 p.m. of a similar scene at Eaton Canyon. 'I could see right across from us on the hillside in Eaton Canyon, there are a series of transformer towers with power lines stretching up into the mountains. And at the base of one, there was just a small ring of flames around the whole base,' Marcus Errico told CNN's Anderson Cooper. Footage captured from another nearby resident in Altadena, Jeffrey Ku, shows flames at the base of the tower around 6:19 p.m.
