Southern California Edison equipment blamed for 2025 Eaton Fire

Los Angeles County fire officials have concluded that faulty equipment belonging to Southern California Edison (SCE) was the cause of the 2025 Eaton Fire, a blaze that claimed 19 lives and devastated more than 9,000 homes and businesses. The investigation identified electrical arcing events on an out-of-service SCE tower as the source of the conflagration. The fire burned across 22 square miles and required nearly a month to fully extinguish.

Southern California Edison has stated that it believes its equipment was likely associated with the ignition of the fire. The utility has previously asserted in legal filings that Los Angeles County agencies were slow to issue evacuation warnings, particularly to residents of west Altadena, where 18 of the fire's victims resided. SCE also contended that water agencies failed to supply adequate water, thereby limiting firefighting resources.