The usefulness of Edison International is analyzing whether an electric line removed in 1971 began the Eaton forest fire as part of a probe on the cause of the fire that swept more than 9,000 structures.

The southern California, Edison found evidence of potential arches and other damage to ground connection equipment for two of the three transmission lines dismantled in a tower about 5 miles from the suspect of origin of the fire, according to a letter presented on Thursday with The regulators. The utility said that he did not know when the damage occurred and that he did not find arches or other problems in his withdrawal tower and lines near the fire. Even so, Edison says that the retired equipment is possible to energize.

Related: Edison shares new details about Eaton transmission lines in the middle of the forest fire probe

Edison said that the line, taken from service more than half a century ago, was regularly inspected.

“While we still do not know what the Eaton forest fire caused, SCE is exploring all the possibilities in its research, including the possibility that the SCE team was involved,” said Edison executive director Pedro J. Pizarro, in a release.

Edison has lost about $ 10 billion in market value since Los Angeles forest fires exploded on January 7 during the winds of Santa Ana de Hurricane-Force. California public services have begun some of the worst forest fires of the State. It was discovered that the broken equipment in a PG & E Corp. Transmission tower caused the fire of the Northern California camp in 2018, which killed 85 people and destroyed the city of Paradise.

State and county researchers asked Edison to preserve their transmission facilities located at the alleged start of the Eaton fire, which killed 17 people, Edison said in his presentation. State regulators require that public services submit reports when it is believed that their team has been involved with a significant forest fire.

Damage to Eaton fire is estimated at $ 7 billion to $ 10 billion, Evercore ISI said in a Thursday note. The research firm said Edison has typically paid from 30% to 40% in previous fires that were blamed for their team.

Earlier this week, lawyers who filed a lawsuit against Edison on behalf of the residents who lost homes in the Eaton fire alleged that the fire began in the inactive transmission tower that was energized during the strong winds. The lawyers, led by Mikal Watts and Douglas Boxer, said their team had been able to identify the exact point of origin of the fire through an analysis of surveillance images, photographs of the Edison teams and witness accounts.

Related: I am the best: forest fires that intensify the problems of property owned by California

“In my career, I have worked in 22 forest fires, representing 21,000 fire survivors in six different states,” Watts said. “This is the clearest evidence I have seen in the team of public services as the beginning of a fire.”

Separate, Edison said in a report to the regulators that the Los Angeles Fire Department suggested that the SCE team caused the Hurst fire that burned 799 Acres and was contained on January 16.

SUPERIOR Photo: Southern California Edison Co. Contractors for repairing energy posts after the Eaton fire in Altadena, California, USA., On Friday, January 17, 2025. The Eaton fire has become the fifth most dead In the history of the State, killing at least 16 people and consuming more than 7,000 structures, according to Cal Fire.

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

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