Altadena Went Up in Flames Hours Before the Eaton Fire

Months after the deadly Eaton fire swept through Altadena, California, claiming 19 lives and razing over 9,000 properties, questions continue to swirl over the true cause of the destruction. Lawsuits have pinned the fire on high-voltage transmission lines owned by Southern California Edison, which concedes its equipment may have sparked near Eaton Canyon, miles away from Altadena, just after 6pm on Jan. 7. But new findings suggest the ignition story might be more complicated. An NPR investigation reveals that hours before the main Eaton Fire front reached Altadena, local distribution lines—those that deliver power directly to homes—were already acting up.

Firefighters responded to over 30 power-line calls in Altadena before 6pm on Jan. 7. Sensors picked up malfunctions as early as 11am. It's unclear how many fires resulted, but one Altadena resident describes battling a backyard blaze caused by sparking utility poles just after 4pm. Despite extreme winds and multiple red flag warnings from the National Weather Service, SoCal Edison left most Altadena circuits live, only shutting off power to a handful of lines as the day wore on.

Company officials say they weigh fire risk against the safety and needs of customers, but some residents feel the utility failed to act aggressively enough. To add insult to injury, SoCal Edison's equipment has been linked to an increasing number of fires over the past decade—178 last year alone. There may be other causes for the flames that ripped through Altadena, such as intense winds carrying embers for miles, NPR notes. But it suggests the fire that began in Eaton Canyon, miles from Altadena, can't account for the full damage since a report commissioned by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors indicated it didn't reach Altadena until after 5am on Jan. 8.