A law firm representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Southern California Edison claims that new video footage sheds light on the potential origin of the deadly Eaton Fire in Altadena. The footage, captured by security cameras at a Pasadena gas station on January 7, appears to show electrical arcing and sparking near the fire’s origin, which coincided with a powerful Santa Ana windstorm.
Edelson PC, the law firm handling the case, obtained the video over the weekend and released an edited version, suggesting that the footage shows signs of electrical malfunctions in the Eaton Canyon area—where the fire ignited. The video, which bears an incorrect timestamp, also captures the violent wind gusts that propelled the flames, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses in the northeastern part of Los Angeles.
In the video, tree branches and traffic lights sway under the intense winds, and a light flickers in the upper corner before flames become visible in the distance. The managers of the Arco gas station in Pasadena spoke with NBCLA, explaining that they released the footage to provide clarity on the fire’s cause, which has sparked much speculation and concern.
This newly surfaced video is just the latest piece of evidence that has emerged since the fire, with earlier footage showing what appeared to be the first flames near utility infrastructure in Eaton Canyon.
Southern California Edison (SCE), which operates power lines in the area, acknowledged the existence of the video in a recent filing with the California Public Utilities Commission. The company stated that it is reviewing the footage to determine if the flashes seen in the video could be related to its equipment in the area.
Edison also pointed out that it had detected an anomaly on a nearby transmission circuit around the time the flashes were visible. However, the company clarified that the anomaly was located miles away from the site where the video was filmed.
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Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for SCE, explained, “This is part of an electrical grid. From time to time, these kinds of faults occur. We are investigating this and continuing our review.” Edison officials have maintained that they do not believe their equipment caused the fire.
According to Edison’s initial analysis, the fault on the distant transmission line caused a brief increase in current across the system. However, they stressed that the increase was within the system’s design parameters and did not trigger any protective measures on the lines in the fire area.
At a court hearing on Monday, Edelson PC requested that physical evidence related to the fire’s cause be preserved. SCE, in its court statement, pointed out that Pasadena Water and Power also owns high-voltage lines in the vicinity.
“SCE de-energized its distribution lines west of Eaton Canyon well before the fire’s reported start time as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff program,” Edison reiterated, adding that the company is still reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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