Utility Says Its Equipment Likely Started Small Blaze That Sparked During January's LA Firestorm

The admission by Southern California Edison over its likely role in the Hurst Fire came in a required filing with state utility regulators.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California utility said Thursday that its equipment likely sparked a small wildfire in Los Angeles that broke out the same day as two massive blazes in the area that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

The admission by Southern California Edison over its likely role in the Hurst Fire, which did not destroy any structures or result in any deaths, came in a required filing with state utility regulators.

In a second filing, the utility said it is looking into whether an idle transmission line became energized and possibly sparked the deadly Eaton Fire, which devastated Altadena. But it still maintains there’s no evidence that its equipment was responsible for starting that blaze.

The utility acknowledged last month that fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started the Hurst Fire, which scorched about 1.25 square miles (3.2 square km) around the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles.

“Absent additional evidence, SCE believes its equipment may be associated with the ignition of the Hurst Fire,” Thursday’s filing said. The cause remains under investigation and the utility said it is cooperating with investigators.