Electrical Faults Surged Before LA Wildfires Erupted: Reports

LOS ANGELES, CA —Just hours before the most devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County history began, the number of faults on the power grid in the impacted areas spiked, according to a company that monitors electrical activity. Additionally, a San Gabriel Valley couple has come forward with photos of an electrical tower erupting in flames in what they claim is the start of the Eaton Fire.

Authorities have not identified the cause of the Los Angeles County's devastating fires. They have yet to rule out two common culprits for Southland fire catastrophes: arson and the electric gird.

At a briefing Saturday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said authorities have not determined whether any of the fires ravaging the county were intentionally set. Detectives were working with the LA county and city fire departments, the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to determine their cause, hed added.

"We don't want any gaps in information any and every clue is important," Luna said. "If anybody out there has any information on anything suspicious, maybe there's a conversation, maybe there's a social media post, something that you think just doesn't sound right, get it to us."

With a dearth of information about the start of the blazes, experts are searching for evidence that the powerful Santa Ana windstorm may have blown branches into power lines, sending sparks flying into tinder-dry shrubbery.

Faults on the power grid are caused by debris hitting electrical wires, among other causes, and often produce sparks.

Chief executive of Whisker Labs Bob Marshall told the LA Times that the areas near the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires experienced increases in faults leading up to the fires during heavy winds.

“What I cannot say is one of these faults sparked the fire. I don’t know that,” Marshall told the Times. “But it just takes one to start the fire.”

As of Saturday, the wildfires racing through LA County have killed at least 11 people, consumed a collective 38,500 acres and destroyed more than 10,000 structures. Officials say investigators have not determined the cause of any of the largest fires yet, but power equipment faults have caused destructive fires in California before.

The Kenneth Fire, which scorched nearly 1,000 acres, is being investigated as a possible arson.

A Pasadena couple told news outlet Pasadena Now they witnessed the initial moments of the Eaton fire Tuesday evening before it grew tremendously and leveled whole neighborhoods.

At about 6: 15 p.m. in the 2100 block of Canyon View Drive, Marcus Errico ran inside his home to tell his wife Jennifer that they needed to get out quick because the electrical tower across the canyon was on fire.

“I called 9-1-1 and within 10 minutes the fire was down across the canyon,” Jennifer told Pasadena Now.

The couple said they quickly moved to inform neighbors, grabbed their go-bags and fled from the flames rapidly consuming the canyon near their home. Fire crews arrived within 15 minutes and immediately began ordering people to evacuate as they ran hoses through backyards, Jennifer said.

According to data from the LA Times, in the hour that the Eaton Fire started, there were 50 faults on the grid in that area. In the area of the Palisades fire, there were 25 faults on the grid in the hour before the fire and 18 in the hour the blaze erupted.

In the previous four hours before the Hurst fire started, there were 120 faults causing sparks in the area and 51 faults in the hour it began. According to Marshall, that means energy was left on despite sparks flying in the area during the previous hours.

“The problem is the utilities don’t have the sensors to know this is occurring," Marshall told the Times. "This sensor network is sophisticated and sensitive. We have more information than they do. Our objective, we’ve been trying to get utilities to pay attention to the data because it’s valuable to know when the grid is stressed.”

Whisker Labs monitors data using its Ting sensors that operate in about 14,000 homes in the LA area. The purpose of the monitors is to help stop electrical fires in homes, but can also be used to provide useful information about the entire power grid.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Friday that his office is investigating possible causes for the fires, including arson. Hochman said if any of the fires are found to have been intentionally set, anyone responsible will be punished to the full extent of the law.

"Right now, law enforcement and firefighters are focused on containing these properties, saving lives and saving homes, but eventually we will get to the causes of those fires," Hochman said.

City News Service contributed to this report.