Edison says SCE starting next phase of investigation into Eaton fire origin

Edison International’s (EIX) subsidiary, Southern California Edison, will begin the next phase of physical and video inspections and testing of electrical equipment in Eaton Canyon on March 17, the company announced. “This phase of testing will continue for several weeks in the field, followed by lab and engineering analysis. This next step in the investigation will be SCE’s first close-up physical inspection since the start of the Eaton Fire. It is being conducted in close coordination with fire investigators, Los Angeles County, the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre and plaintiffs’ counsel, each of whom can have representatives present at the examination sites. The protocol for the upcoming inspections has been developed through a collaborative process with input from interested stakeholders, in line with SCE’s commitment to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation,” the company stated. “SCE does not anticipate having an immediate update following the upcoming inspection and testing and continues to expect the full investigation to take several months to complete. Following the conclusion of this phase of testing, SCE will conduct a comprehensive review of the data collected in coordination with third-party experts and will move forward as quickly as possible in analyzing results,” the company added.