Now that the majority of the nearly 800-acre blaze has been contained, authorities are investigating if downed Southern California Edison equipment sparked the Hurst Fire in Sylmar.
The blaze was first reported in the 5900 block of Yarnell Street late Tuesday evening at around 10:30 p.m., hours after both the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire had already erupted elsewhere in Los Angeles County.
It grew quickly, engulfing more than 100 acres within an hour. At the latest, Cal Fire officials say that it burned just under 800 acres and is almost entirely contained.
On Friday, SCE officials said a preliminary investigation revealed that a circuit in the Eagle Rock/Sylmar area experience a relay, or a glitch in the power at 10:11 p.m, just before the fire was reported. They also say that a downed conductor was found near an electrical tower. The company says that it’s unsure if the damage occurred before or after the fire broke out.
Thousands of people were forced to evacuate from their homes in the wake of news that the fire had started, all of which have since been lifted. There was no structural damage that occurred in the fire, crews said.
The Hurst Fire was one of three major wildfires that broke out on Tuesday, the others being the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, that received Fire Management Assistance Grants through FEMA at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request.
In California, any utility or power company must file notice with the state’s Public Utility Commission if there is any reason to believe that their equipment may have been the cause of a fire. On Saturday, company officials noted they had received requests from some legal parties in regards to the cause of the Eaton Fire, but say that their equipment was turned off at the time the blaze was first reported.