The same utility that powers Beverly Hills and Bel Air's hillside neighborhoods caused the deadly January 2025 Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County fire investigators confirmed Tuesday, Aug. 4.
A 55-page report released jointly by the LA County Arson Fire Investigation Unit and Cal Fire concluded that electrical arcing from an out-of-service Southern California Edison transmission tower ignited the blaze that killed 19 people and destroyed or damaged more than 9,000 homes and businesses across Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and La Cañada Flintridge.
The finding matters locally. Bel Air sits within the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, a designation the LAFD traces to the 1961 Bel Air Fire that destroyed 484 homes. SCE operates the electrical grid serving these hillside communities.
The 18-month investigation, aided by electrical and metallurgical experts, determined that two arcing events occurred in rapid succession on the idle tower above Eaton Wash in Eaton Canyon, according to ABC7. Video evidence showed burning material falling from the tower into dry brush below.
The fuel bed ignited within 12 seconds.
The fire sparked on the evening of Jan. 7, 2025, during a Santa Ana wind event with gusts near 100 mph in the foothills above Pasadena and Altadena. It scorched more than 14,000 acres and was not fully contained until Jan. 31, 2025.
"We have taken our potential role in the start of this fire seriously from the very beginning," SCE spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy told ABC7 on Tuesday. The utility previously acknowledged its equipment was likely associated with the ignition.
LA County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said the department's focus remains on helping residents rebuild and "ensuring lessons learned drive meaningful and impactful change in memory of the 19 lives lost."
SCE has filed lawsuits claiming LA County agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings. The OC Register reported that many in West Altadena did not receive alerts until 3 a.m. or later on Jan. 8, 2025. Eighteen of the 19 victims lived in that neighborhood.
Edison's wildfire prevention plan
SCE submitted a 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan to California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety in May 2025, according to the utility's newsroom. The plan calls for $6.2 billion in investment over three years, including at least 440 circuit miles of covered conductor and 260 miles of underground distribution lines.
Local preparedness resources
The Beverly Hills Fire Department, one of only a few nationally to hold a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office, runs a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program alongside its Business and Employee emergency response teams. The city's Just in Case BH program warns residents that in a major disaster, fire and police response may be delayed up to 72 hours.
The program held a Zone 7 Community Walk on Sunday, Aug. 2, two days before the Eaton Fire report was released.
Residents in Beverly Hills can reach the fire department's community programs through the city's website. Bel Air residents in the LAFD's jurisdiction can find brush clearance requirements and evacuation planning resources at lafd.org.
