LOS ANGELES — Investigators are exploring various potential ignition sources linked to the devastating fires in the Los Angeles region, which have resulted in at least ten fatalities and have ravaged thousands of homes and businesses.
In the affluent Pacific Palisades area, where celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal lost their residences, authorities have traced the blaze’s origin to a location behind a residence on Piedra Morada Drive, positioned above a heavily vegetated canyon.
While the National Fire Protection Association notes that lightning is the leading cause of wildfires in the United States, officials quickly ruled this out as a factor in the Palisades fires. There were no recorded instances of lightning in the vicinity, nor around the Eaton fire, which ignited in eastern Los Angeles County and has also resulted in extensive property damage.
The next most frequent causes of such fires include deliberate acts and sparks from utility lines.
John Lentini, owner of Scientific Fire Analysis in Florida and a veteran fire investigator with experience probing significant fires in California, including the 1991 Oakland Hills incident, stated that determining the cause of a fire hinges on analyzing where it began.
“This initially started as a small fire,” Lentini remarked. “The focus will be on pinpointing the ignition site, assessing its surroundings, and then identifying the cause.”
To date, there is no official indication of arson being involved in either fire, nor have utility lines been confirmed as the source.
California regulations mandate that utilities inform the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) of any “electric incidents possibly linked to a wildfire,” as noted by Terrie Prosper, the commission’s communications director. After such reports, CPUC staff conduct investigations to check for compliance violations.
The substantial 2017 Thomas Fire, recognized as one of the most significant fires in California’s history, was attributed to Southern California Edison power lines that arced during windy conditions. This fire led to two deaths and burned over 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers), as per findings from the Ventura County Fire Department.
Currently, there have been no public filings related to the ongoing fires on the CPUC website that monitors such incidents.
While lightning, arson, and utility line failures are often mentioned, the causes of fires can also include debris burning and fireworks.
However, fires can ignite from a vast range of sources, including accidents. For instance, in 2021, a gender reveal party resulted in a major fire that burned approximately 36 square miles (about 90 square kilometers), destroying numerous buildings and claiming the life of firefighter Charlie Morton.
As of Thursday, both the Eaton and Palisades fires continued to blaze with minimal containment. Although winds had calmed, the dry landscape remained vulnerable, with no rainfall anticipated.
“It’s going to extinguish when it depletes its fuel supply, or when the weather conditions change,” Lentini advised. “The fire will not be quelled until it is naturally inclined to extinguish.”
