The cause: Sparks from an out-of-service SCE transmission tower, which reached a “dry receptive fuel bed below,” according to a new report from the LA County Fire Department. The fire took off within seconds, and ultimately killed 19 people and destroyed over 9K buildings. The liability: SCE is required to “maintain and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that would minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by them,” the fire department noted . In Dec. 2025, Pedro Pizarro, CEO of parent company Edison International, said SCE’s equipment was likely to blame. So far, the utility has paid over $360M in claims related to the Eaton Fire.