2025-01-11T11:29:35+00:00
Shafaq News/ Southern California Edison (SCE) has announced the discovery of a downed conductor on a tower connected to the Eagle Rock-Sylmar 220 kV circuit. The company indicated that it remains unclear whether the observed damage occurred before or after the wildfire ignition.
Firefighting agencies are investigating whether the ongoing wildfire in a Los Angeles suburb, which is still active, is related to infrastructure issues belonging to SCE, as revealed by the company. However, no definitive conclusions have been reached yet.
SCE, a subsidiary of the US utilities company Edison International, disclosed to regulatory authorities that preliminary information shows signal transmissions were detected across the circuit at 06:11 GMT, while the Hearst Fire was first reported at around 06:10 GMT on January 7.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the Hearst Fire, which erupted in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley area northwest of Los Angeles, has burned over 770 acres and is currently 77% contained.
Edison International has yet to respond to a comment request sent via its website.
Last Thursday, SCE announced it had received notifications from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire, which is still burning in Los Angeles. However, the company noted that no firefighting agencies have linked its transmission facilities to the fire.
Five active wildfires in the region have destroyed over 10,000 structures and burned nearly 30,000 acres.
Private weather company AccuWeather estimated that damages and economic losses range between $135 billion and $150 billion, signaling difficulties in disaster recovery and increased insurance costs for homeowners.