LA Times (January 12, 2025) — As officials try to determine the cause of a wildfire that has burned an estimated 7,000 structures in and around Altadena, investigators keep returning to one place: an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon.
The once-lush hillside has been charred by flames spread by intense winds from the open space into the heart of suburban communities.
Investigators were coming and going up the mountain, an area off-limits to media, utilities and fire departments.
“Nobody is allowed up there besides investigators,” said Wayne Howerton, an investigator for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “It’s currently an investigation into the start of the Eaton fire.”
Early photos and videos taken by residents captured what appeared to be the first flames of the deadly Eaton fire, burning at the base of a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower before racing down the canyon toward homes. Howerton confirmed to The Times that the area had become a focus of their inquiry, but it is unclear what investigators have discovered. It is also unclear what other potential sources and locations are being studied. Read more here.