A report released on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, by Los Angeles county fire officials concluded that the devastating 2025 Eaton wildfire in the Los Angeles area was caused by electrical arcing events on an out-of-service tower owned by Southern California Edison (SCE). The fire killed 19 people and destroyed or damaged more than 9,000 homes and businesses.

The investigation, which took 18 months and involved electrical and metallurgical experts, found that within 12 seconds, dry grass and brush ignited and the fire rapidly expanded into a conflagration affecting the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and La Cañada Flintridge.

Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly a month, during which it scorched approximately 22 square miles (57 square kilometers).

Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, stated that the utility has received the report and is reviewing it. She emphasized, "We have taken our potential role in the start of this fire seriously from the very beginning," and noted that SCE had previously acknowledged it was likely their equipment was associated with the ignition of the Eaton fire.

The report also references a Pasadena resident who called 911 on January 7th, 2025, after spotting flames across a canyon from his home. Prosecutors have separately stated that Jonathan Rinderknecht used a barbecue lighter on January 1st, 2025, to ignite a blaze that smoldered undetected in root systems before flaring up on January 7th.

Sources