A new video analysis by a coalition of attorneys investigating the Eaton fire appears to show molten material falling from an idle tower conductor into dry brush below — more evidence that Southern California Edison equipment sparked the monstrous blaze in January.
The new evidence, presented by LA Fire Justice at a town hall meeting Thursday, April 17, bolstered the theory that a tower — deenergized more than 50 years ago — became active in the hurricane-force winds and triggered the fire that destroyed nearly 7,000 structures in Altadena and killed 18 people.
Edison International Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro recently told the Los Angeles Times that the tower may have become reenergized through a phenomenon called “induction,” in which the electromagnetic field of a nearby active line reenergizes an idle line. That has become a leading theory in SCE’s investigation into the cause of the fire, Pizarro said.
At Thursday’s town hall, attorney Mikal Watts said there can be no doubt the idle line, built 102 years ago, was the culprit and should have been better maintained or removed.
“If you’re not going to take it away, at least don’t leave it as an electrical pile of junk that causes hazards,” Watts said. “Full stop. Southern California Edison burned your house down. Full stop. Southern California Edison burned your town down.”
SCE spokesman David Eisenhauer responded Friday that any video or information related to the cause of the Eaton fire must be carefully analyzed, and it would be premature to comment until that is done.
The analyzed video came from a camera system at a nearby Arco station the night the fire began. The idle line in question is the Mesa-Sylmar line, which was taken out of commission after it was damaged in an earthquake in 1971. Most of the towers on the circuit were disassembled by Southern California Edison, but the 19 towers known as towers 208-227 were left standing for no reason, said a news release from LA Fire…
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