An electric utility executive told that the winds during the Eaton fire, which began ravaging parts of Altadena on January 7, did not reach the intensity necessary to warrant the de-energization of a significant electrical transmission line – now being investigated as a possible ignition source for the fire.
Southern California Edison CEO Steven Powell shared the company’s decision not to de-energize a key electrical transmission line, stating that the winds in Eaton Canyon did not meet the 60 to 80 mph threshold often required for such action. Edison closely monitored the weather that day, Powell said.
Despite reports from residents who witnessed flames erupting at the base of a transmission tower, Powell maintained that Edison’s data revealed no abnormalities in the 12 hours leading up to the fire, according to the news outlet.
“My heart sank,” Powell told, acknowledging the unsettling images of flames captured by nearby residents. “Anybody’s mind would if they saw that was the beginning stages of the fire … from there you can’t see anything else around, your mind will go [to thinking it was caused by Edison electrical equipment] absolutely.”
The Eaton fire was reported shortly after 6:15 p.m on January 7, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. At around 6 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded gusts of 59 mph at Edison’s monitoring site at the southern end of Eaton Canyon Park, reported. Higher gusts were noted at other times that day: 63 mph at 2:20 p.m. and 70 mph at 9:30 p.m. Wind readings at the tower in the canyon’s hills, however, remain unclear.
The utility serving Los Angeles has been sued for its alleged role in igniting the fire. Edison in a statement Sunday said a review of circuits and transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area showed its electrical equipment was unlikely to have caused the fire. Local officials said Monday they still have not determined the cause of the fire.
