As authorities try to determine the cause of the wildfire that destroyed an estimated 7,000 structures in and around Altadena, investigators keep returning to one spot: an electric power tower in Eaton Canyon.
The once lush rolling hills were scorched by the flames, which spread from the square to the heart of the suburban community, driven by fierce winds.
Photos and video showed what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton Fire around a power transmission tower.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Errico)
Investigators crisscrossed the mountain, which is off-limits to the media, public facilities, and fire departments.
“No one is allowed in there except the investigators,” said Wayne Howerton, an investigator with the California Department of Fire, Forestry and Conservation. “We are currently investigating the cause of the Eaton Fire.”
Photos and videos taken by residents captured what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton Fire burning at the base of a power transmission tower.
(Courtesy of Jennifer Errico)
Early photos and videos taken by residents captured what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton Fire, burning at the base of Southern California’s Edison power towers and racing down a canyon toward homes. was. Howerton confirmed to the Times that the area was the focus of the investigation, but it was unclear what investigators had found. It is also unclear what other potential sources or locations are being studied.
So far, Southern California Edison officials have said they do not believe electrical equipment was to blame.
Video and images from four residents obtained by the Times show the Eaton Fire burned more than 14,100 acres, damaged and destroyed more than 7,000 structures and killed five people before it exploded. It seems like it is. The initial flames of the fire started in the back of a home in Pasadena. , at the base of a nearby power transmission tower.
Marcus Errico said he was parked in his driveway just after 6 p.m. Tuesday when he noticed a red light above his home on Canyon View Lane.
“It didn’t click with me at first,” he says. “Then we realized it was a fire. At this point there was just a small ring of flame around the base of one of them.” [electrical] Tower. ”
Winds were gusting about 110 miles per hour, the Palisades Fire was already burning on the other side of the county, and Errico knew there would only be minutes left before his family would cut through the canyon toward their home.
“I broke the front door open,” he said, calling for his wife to get their daughter and dog. “‘We have to go!’ There’s a fire in the hills.”
Errico and his wife drove down the cul-de-sac and knocked on neighbors’ doors, urging them to flee, while they called 911.
His wife, Jennifer, stopped for a few seconds before the flames raced down the hill and filmed them with her cell phone.
Errico said investigators contacted him about what he witnessed and what his wife recorded at the time of the fire.
Jane and David Stover, among the neighbors who noticed the fire, were knocking on the door just as the couple was finishing dinner.
When they looked outside, they saw flames starting to burn toward them at the base of the power tower.
On Saturday, the couple was at their home and five investigators were milling around the same tower.
“The fire started right below that tower,” Jane Dover said, pointing at investigators.
“It was like a little ball and it just went flying,” David Stover said. “It just exploded.”
Embers rained down on the car as nearby residents evacuated.
Early photos and videos taken by residents captured what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton Fire, burning at the base of the same power tower and racing down the canyon toward homes. (Courtesy of Pedro Rojas)
Pedro Rojas also said he captured the initial blaze on cellphone video shortly before fleeing with his family.
“At the root of power there was only fire.” [tower]” he said. “And it just exploded.”
Rossana Valverde was watching TV while having dinner with her husband, but the internet went out. Then Marcus Errico banged on the door and yelled at me to get out.
“We didn’t know anything and were stunned when we opened the door,” she said. “It hadn’t exploded yet, it was still exploding.” [tower]”
By the time they got into the car, the fire was already out of control.
“It was already on the ground,” she said. “Everything was on fire.”
Several blocks away, other residents said they witnessed similar events happening.
Matthew Logelin, who lives at the base of Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, was preparing dinner for his children at about 6:11 p.m. Tuesday when he heard a loud bang.
He ran outside to see if one of the large pine trees in his backyard leading to Eaton Canyon had been blown over by the strong winds. Seeing no major damage, he returned home and peered out his kitchen window to see the fire starting on the ridge below a huge metal power line.
He called 911 at 6:13 p.m., saying the fire was “the smallest fire. It looked like a campfire at that point.”
“That’s clearly where the fire started,” he said. “It was right under the power lines.”
Southern California Edison notified the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday that it had received multiple notices from attorneys representing the insurance company seeking to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire.
The company said in the notice that a preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information on power lines in the area showed no power outages or abnormalities until more than an hour after the Eaton fire.
“To date, there is no indication by fire agencies that SCE’s electrical equipment was involved in the ignition,” the report said.
It will likely take weeks or months to determine the cause of the devastating fire. Some of California’s worst firestorms have been caused by electrical equipment, including the 2018 Hellfire that destroyed 16,000 structures and killed more than 80 people in and around Paradise.
“Power lines just west of Eaton Canyon lost power well before the reported start time of the fire,” Southern California Edison said in a news release the day after the fire broke out.
Power lines refer to utility poles (often made of wood) that provide direct service to neighborhoods and residents. A large power transmission tower is believed to be where the fire started.
On Sunday, the power company announced that power had been restored to its transmission lines.
“Southern California Edison conducted a preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information for four active power lines in the Eaton Canyon area. “There were no power outages or operational slash electrical abnormalities until more than an hour after the reported fire start time,” said Southern California Edison spokesman Jeff Monford. Statement to the Times.
Photos provided by residents could be key to the investigation, but appear to contradict Southern California Edison’s claims, one expert said.
“The fact is that Edison says there was no evidence that there was any problem with those lines, but there are photos and videos of fires under that tower, and Cal Fire is currently working there. ,” said Michael Walla, director of the Office of Climate Change. Stanford University’s Energy Policy Program.
“We need to get more facts about what Edison knows about the performance of these lines in the canyon. We also need to know if there is physical evidence at the scene that indicates whether the power lines were the culprit. There is a need.”
He stressed that there could still be other causes for the fire.
Southern California’s Edison fire could cost power companies $1 billion, but most of the damage will be covered by a $21 billion state wildfire fund established in 2019. Wala said the fund would protect utility companies from bankruptcy in the event of a fire and pay for insured and uninsured losses caused by utilities.
Still, Wala said the Eaton fire could burn through half of the $21 billion fund if it were a utility-based one, which could affect the market’s perception of the Wildfire Fund. , which could have a negative impact on Southern California Edison’s credit score.
On Sunday, the law firm Edelson PC sent a notice to Edison asking it to preserve evidence and equipment related to the Eaton fire.
The company has also received videos and images from residents showing that the fire appears to have started at the base of the tower, making preservation of evidence critical to determining the cause of the fire and who is responsible.
Ali Mogadas, an attorney with Edelson PC, said of all the fires in the area, “This could be the most devastating disaster in U.S. history.” “I’ve seen estimates that the damage could exceed $100 billion.”
Times staff writer Laura Nelson contributed to this report.
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