What ignited the deadly California wildfires? Investigators considered a range of possibilities

Los Angeles – Investigators are looking into a number of possible sources for the massive fires that killed at least 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area.

In the hills, Pacific Palisades, home to Hollywood stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal who lost their homes in the fire, officials put the origin of the fire in the back of a house on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits on top of dense forest. an arroyo.

Although lightning is the most common source of fires in the US, according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to quickly rule that out. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the area around the Eaton fire, which started in eastern Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes.

The next two most common causes are: fires set intentionally, and those caused by utility lines.

John Lentini, owner of Scientific Fire Analysis in Florida, which has investigated large fires in California including the Oakland Hills fire in 1991, said the size and magnitude of this fire does not change the way to find out what caused it.

“This was once a small fire,” said Lentini. “People will focus on where the fire started, see the origin and look at the origin and find the cause.”

So far there are no official signs of a fire, and utility lines have not been identified as the cause.

Utilities are required to report to the California Public Utilities Commission if they become aware of “electrical incidents that may be related to wildfires,” Terrie Prosper, the commission’s director of communications, said in an email. CPC staff then investigate to see if there are any violations of federal law.

The 2017 Thomas Fire, one of the largest fires in state history, was caused by Southern California Edison power lines that met during high winds, investigators determined. The fire killed two people and burned more than 1,140 square miles, according to an investigation led by the Ventura County Fire Department.

So far no such reports of current fires have been posted on the CPUC website that tracks that coverage.

While lightning, burning homes and utility lines are the most common causes, burning debris and explosives are also common causes.

But fires are caused by a number of sources, including accidents.

In 2021, the gender of the couple revealed that the stunt started a huge fire that burned an area of ​​36 square kilometers (about 90 square kilometers), destroyed five homes and 15 other buildings and took the life of a firefighter, Charlie Morton.

The Eaton and Palisades fires were still burning without containment Thursday. Winds eased, but there was no rain in the forecast as the flames moved across miles of dry land.

“It will turn off when it runs out of fuel, or when the weather stops,” said Lentini. “They’re not going to get that thing out until it’s ready to go.”