An Eaton Canyon power tower is being investigated as a possible source of the deadly fire that shares its name.
According to the Los Angeles Times, CalFire investigators are investigating the power transmission tower where the first blaze from the Eaton fire is believed to have been discovered.
“Video and images from four residents obtained by the Times show that the initial flames of the fire burned behind a Pasadena home at the base of a nearby power tower before the Eaton Fire exploded. It appears that there is,” the Times reported.
A screenshot of a video purportedly taken shortly after the Eaton Fire broke out in Altadena on January 7, 2025, shows a flare-up at the base of a power line. (@jeffrey.ku and @cheryllyay on Instagram)
The newspaper added that some of these witnesses are being interviewed by law enforcement. The subject of a particular viral video spoke with KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff over the weekend.
The crew made great progress in the fight against the Palisades, and the Eaton caught fire.
The transmission tower is owned by Southern California Edison, which said it does not believe its equipment caused the fire.
SCE’s Jan. 9 incident report said there were no “electrical or operational abnormalities” at the scene until more than an hour after the fire began.
“To date, no fire service agency has suggested that SCE’s electrical equipment was involved in the fire or requested that SCE’s equipment be removed and stored,” the incident report states.
On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire burned hundreds of acres near Altadena. (California Alert)
Still, lawsuits against SCE continue to be filed accusing the utility of failing to prevent its equipment from causing deadly fires.
Still, it will be months before investigators can definitively say what caused the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres and killed at least 11 people.
Investigators regularly climb the mountain to visit the power tower site, which is off-limits to the media, firefighters and the power company itself.
CalFire investigator Wayne Howerton told the Los Angeles Times, “No one except investigators is allowed inside. We are currently investigating the cause of the Eaton fire.”
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