The head of Southern California Edison said Wednesday that winds in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 were not strong enough to cut power to a powerful transmission line and is investigating whether the transmission line may have been the ignition point of a fire that destroyed a large area . Altadena.

Residents living near Eaton Canyon reported seeing flames coming from the base of the tower as the fire broke out and took photos and videos of the scene. Investigators from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection visited the building over the weekend and said the area was off-limits as part of an investigation into the cause of the Eaton fire.

In an interview with The Times, CEO Steven Powell reiterated the company's claim that its data showed no abnormalities in the 12 hours before the Eaton fire.

The National Weather Service warned of life-threatening and damaging winds on the day of fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

Powell said Edison was closely monitoring weather conditions on Jan. 7, but said winds did not reach the threshold the company would use to shut off power to transmission lines.

Winds typically have to reach 60 to 80 mph before companies would consider taking down power lines, Powell said, adding that Edison was seeing readings lower than that.

The Eaton fire was first reported just after 6:11 p.m.

Around 6 p.m., the National Weather Service recorded wind gusts of up to 59 mph at the Edison Eaton Canyon station, located at the south end of Eaton Canyon Park near the corner of New York and Altadena avenues.

Higher wind gusts were recorded at that location: 63 mph at 2:20 p.m. and 70 mph at 9:30 p.m., according to weather service data. canyon.

Transmission lines are a more powerful part of the electrical grid than distribution lines. Distribution lines are the poles, usually wooden, that directly serve communities and residents. Transmission lines are more structurally sound, often served by metal towers, and carry higher voltages at higher speeds.

Powell added that towers in the area were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and that the lines and towers were last inspected in 2024.

“We do aerial inspections, either with helicopters or most often with drones,” he said, “because you can get great images of every little part up close, and then our inspectors bring in binoculars Go to the ground and watch them."

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, which destroyed an estimated 7,000 buildings and killed at least 16 people, and declined to say what evidence they found around the tower.

Still, a flurry of lawsuits emerged this week naming Edison as a defendant and claiming the utility caused the Eaton fire.

Powell said he understood the frustration residents felt and the conclusions they drew after seeing early images of a fire under an Edison tower. He felt the same way when he saw the video.

"My heart sank because you see that, you know, if anyone saw that was the beginning stages of the fire, their mind would be shattered... From there you couldn't see anything around you. Something else, your mind goes off (thinking it was caused by Edison's electrical equipment) absolutely," he said.

But the data doesn't corroborate the video, Powell said, although he couldn't say with absolute certainty that the fire wasn't caused by Edison wires.

Powell said Edison may have been the cause of the Hurst Fire near Sylmar. The CEO said a power line was downed at the scene of the Hurst fire, but data shows unusual electrical activity was detected at 10:11 p.m. on January 7, one minute after the fire started at 10:10 p.m.

Powell said it was unclear whether downed power lines started the fire or whether they were downed because of an already burning fire.

It was discovered that Edison had caused fatal fires in the past.

In 2017, the company's power lines sparked the Thomas Fire, which killed two people, and caused a mudslide in Montecito that killed 21 people.

That fire was caused by "wire strike," which occurs when wires hit each other and create sparks.

Powell spoke at an Edison "yard" near the Eaton Fire District, where the company is coordinating power restoration efforts. While an investigation into Edison's possible responsibility for starting the fires is ongoing, the company remains focused on restoring power and service to residents in fire areas.

Powell said the company is focused on restoring power to areas where some homes remain. In parts of the Eaton Fire District, where entire neighborhoods were leveled by flames, restoring power was not a priority. Power could be restored in some areas of Altadena within days to a week, while other areas could take weeks to months, he said.

Just months before the Los Angeles County fires broke out, state regulators had criticized Edison, questioning whether the utility's repairs on aging transmission lines would hold up.

But Edison says its maintenance efforts have reduced the likelihood of its equipment sparking wildfires by more than 85 percent.