Home » Altadena winds weren’t strong enough to warrant Edison shutting off transmission lines, CEO asserts – Jobsmaa.com

Altadena winds weren’t strong enough to warrant Edison shutting off transmission lines, CEO asserts – Jobsmaa.com

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Southern California President Edison said Wednesday that the wind is picking up Blows at Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 They weren't strong enough to knock out a powerful power transmission line that's now being investigated as a possible ignition point for the fire that destroyed a large swath of Altadena.

Residents living near Eaton Canyon saw flames erupting at the base of the tower as the fire spread and took photos and videos of the scene. Over the weekend, investigators from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection were at the tower and Eaton said the area is off limits as it is part of an investigation into what sparked the fire.

Chief executive Steven Powell, in an interview with The Times, reiterated the company's insistence that its data about the Eaton fire in the 12 hours before the blaze showed no abnormalities.

The National Weather Service warned of potentially life-threatening and destructive winds on the day of the fire in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

Powell said Edison was closely monitoring the weather on Jan. 7, but said the wind did not meet the threshold the company uses for de-energizing transmission lines.

Power lines in Eaton Canyon are under consideration in an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Power lines in Eaton Canyon are under consideration in an investigation into the cause of the fire.

(Brian van der Broek/Los Angeles Times)

Powell said the company typically requires wind speeds of 60 to 80 mph to consider de-energization of transmission lines, and the readings Edison saw were lower than that.

The Eaton Fire was first reported just after 6:11 p.m. At 6 p.m., the weather service reported winds of 59 mph at the Eden Canyon Observatory in Edison, New York, and at the south end of Eaton Canyon Park. Altadena drives.

According to Weather Service data, higher winds were recorded at the site: 63 mph at 2:20 p.m. and 70 mph at 9:30 p.m. It's unclear what the wind readings at the tower, located in the mountains, were. Valley.

Transmission lines are the most powerful part of the power grid. Distribution lines refer to electric poles, often made of wood, that directly serve neighborhoods and residents. Transmission lines are structurally sound, usually served by metal towers, and carry high voltages at high speeds.

Powell added that towers in the area were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and both the lines and towers were most recently inspected in 2024.

“We do aerial surveys in a helicopter or often we use drones,” he said, “because you can get really good pictures of every little piece up close, and then our inspectors go on the ground with binoculars. Look at them.”

Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center Burns During Eaton Fire

The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center burns during the Eaton Fire on January 7, 2025.

(Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire — which burned 7,000 buildings and killed at least 16 people — and declined to say what evidence was found around the tower.

However, several cases have been pursued This week it named Edison as a defendant, claiming damages for causing the Eaton fire.

Powell said he understands the frustration and conclusions residents have after seeing early images of a fire burning under one of Edison's towers. He felt the same after watching the videos.

“My heart sank because you saw it, and immediately you have to, you know, anybody's mind would be when you see that it's the early stages of a fire … From there you can't see anything else, your mind just goes. [to thinking it was caused by Edison electrical equipment] Absolutely,” he said.

But the data doesn't bear out the scenes, Powell said, though he can't say for sure that Edison's lines didn't cause the fire.

Powell said Edison may have been responsible for starting the Hearst Fire near Sylmar. The CEO said a power line was down where the Hearst fire was ignited, however, data showed abnormal electrical activity was observed on January 7, at 10:11 p.m., a minute after the fire broke out at 10:10 p.m.

Steven Powell is the chief executive of Southern California Edison.

Steven Powell is the chief executive of Southern California Edison.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Powell said it was unclear whether a downed power line caused the fire or whether the downed power line caused an already burning fire.

Edison was found to have caused deadly fires in the past.

The company's wires caught fire Thomas Thee in 2017Ventura and Santa Barbara County fires, which killed two and created conditions Mud at Montecito 21 people were killed in it.

The fire was caused by “line slap,” which occurs when electrical wires bump into each other and cause sparks.

Powell spoke from Edison's “laydown yard” near the Eden fire zone, where the company is coordinating its power restoration efforts. While investigations into Edison's possible responsibility for causing the fire are ongoing, the company is focused more on restoring power and service to residents of the fire zones.

The company is focused on restoring power to areas where few homes remain, Powell said. In parts of the Eaton fire zone, entire blocks were destroyed by flames, and power restoration was not a priority. Some parts of Altadena could get power back in a week to a week, he said, while other parts could take weeks to months.

State regulators criticized Edison Los Angeles County questioned whether the utility's repairs to aging transmission lines were being eliminated months before the fire.

But Edison's maintenance work has reduced the chance of its equipment causing wildfires by more than 85%.

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