(Reuters) – Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison's utility infrastructure caused a fire that is still burning in a Los Angeles suburb, SCE said on Friday, adding that no decision has been made yet.
SCE, a unit of US utility company Edison International (NYSE:), said in a filing with regulators that a fallen conductor was discovered in a tower connected to an Eagle Rock-Sylmar 220 kV circuit.
The Authority said: “The Authority of Engineers does not know whether the damage observed occurred before or after the fire started.”
SCE said preliminary information shows the circuit saw a relay at 10:11pm (0611 GMT) as the Hurst fire was reported at around 10:10pm on January 7.
The Hearst Fire, in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, has surpassed 770 acres and is now 77% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Edison International did not immediately respond to a request for comment submitted through the company's website.
SCE said Thursday it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the accident Eaton (NYSE:) fire is still burning in Los Angeles, but said no fire agencies have linked the facility to the blaze.
More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed by five fires burning in the area and nearly 30,000 acres have been burned.
Private weather forecasting company AccuWeather estimated damage and economic losses at between $135 billion and $150 billion, portending an arduous recovery and higher insurance costs for homeowners.
