Southern California Edison says its equipment may have caused Hurst Fire

Southern California Edison “believes its equipment may be associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire,” the utility wrote in a statement Thursday.

Any utility or power company operating in California must file a notice with the state’s Public Utility Commission if there is reason to believe their equipment may have been the cause of a fire.

The Hurst Fire broke out late on Jan. 7 near Sylmar after the Palisades and Eaton fires had already started. The Hurst Fire burned about 800 acres and forced thousands of evacuations but didn’t damage or destroy homes or other buildings.

A preliminary investigation by SCE found a glitch in the system just before the Hurst Fire started. They also reported that a downed conductor was found near an electrical tower.

In a separate statement about the Eaton Fire on Thursday, Southern California Edison maintained that no glitches or irregularities were documented in its equipment before that fire broke out, “such as broken conductors, fresh arc marks in the preliminary origin area, or evidence of faults on the energized lines running through that area.”

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against the utility over its alleged role in the Eaton Fire.

“Information and data have come to light, such as videos from external parties of the [Eaton] fire’s early stages, suggesting a possible link to SCE’s equipment, which the company takes seriously,” the statement reads.

The investigations for the causes of the major L.A. fires that broke out last month and destroyed thousands of homes are ongoing.