Edison of Southern California began work this week to prepare idle power lines to be removed from areas that had begun a fatal Eaton fire and rapidly spread in January in January.
Preparation work and removal are further steps in the investigation to determine how the second most destructive wildfire recorded in California was launched in San Gabriel Mountain, northeast of Los Angeles. The instrument can provide clues to identify undetermined causes.
On Tuesday, work began removing conductors and power lines before the two towers were disassembled. The lineman was lowered into a sturdy area from helicopters to spool conductors prior to the removal of the tower, and was scheduled for next week. Helicopters are used for removal.
The Mesa-Silmer Line, which has been idled for decades, has been analyzed as part of an investigation into how the Eton Fire began on January 7th, and has since been burning to Altadena and burning homes and businesses. Edison raised the possibility in a February regulatory submission that a phenomenon called induction could have temporarily energised the tower or circuit.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the “abolized” power lines in the Angeles National Forest have become temporarily vibrant. Eric Leonard reports on NBC4 News on Monday, March 17th, 2025 at 5pm.
Videos containing cell phone videos showing the first flames growing from the area just below one of the videos are part of the investigation. Several videos were revealed in days and weeks of the fire that appeared to show the first flames at Eton Canyon near the utility infrastructure.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Socal Edison said, “As mentioned in his filing with the California Public Utilities Commission on February 6, certain information and third-party videos from the early stages of the fire suggest a possible connection to Edison’s equipment in Southern California.
In a statement in February, Pedro J. Pizarro, president and CEO of SCE’s parent company Edison International, said, “While we don’t know yet what causes Eaton Wildfire, SCE is investigating all possible possibilities for the investigation, including the possibility that SCE equipment may be involved.
Research into separate states and counties is also underway.
In March, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against Edison in Southern California over the Eton fire. The lawsuit, named Socal Edison and Edison International, seeks to recover costs and damages from the fire.
According to Calfire, several Etonfires, which erupted on January 7th and spread rapidly in strong winds, destroyed 9,400 structures, resulting in 18 deaths. County parks, nature centers, trails and other community infrastructure were damaged in a 14,000 acre fire, according to a county news release that released the lawsuit.
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