LA County fire report finds out-of-service Southern California Edison tower caused 2025 Eaton Fire

Los Angeles County fire officials released a report on Tuesday stating that the 2025 Eaton Fire was ignited by electrical arcing on an out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower. The investigation, conducted with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, determined that two rapid arcing events caused material to fall from the tower, igniting dry brush and quickly expanding into a wildfire that burned 22 square miles across the San Gabriel Mountains and several nearby communities.

The fire, which required nearly a month to extinguish, resulted in 19 fatalities and damage or loss to more than 9,000 homes and businesses. The report noted that extreme weather conditions—high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds—contributed to the rapid spread.

"After 18 months of thorough review of all evidence, alongside retained electrical and metallurgical experts, the investigation concluded that the cause of the wildfire conflagration was due to the electrical arcing events that took place on the out-of-service Southern California Edison (SCE) tower," the agency said in a statement.

SCE spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy said the utility has received the report and is reviewing it, adding that the company has taken its potential role in the fire "seriously from the very beginning" and continues to support the affected community.

The utility has previously asserted that local agencies delayed evacuation warnings and that water providers did not supply sufficient water for firefighting, claims that Los Angeles County declined to comment on. The investigation emphasized that SCE is responsible for maintaining its equipment to minimize wildfire risk.

The Eaton Fire occurred concurrently with the Palisades Fire, another major blaze that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures in Pacific Palisades.