Power Grid Faults Surge Before Major LA County Wildfires

The number of faults on the power grid near three major Los Angeles County wildfires surged dramatically in the hours leading up to the blazes, according to data from Whisker Labs, a company monitoring electrical activity. The Eaton, Palisades, and Hurst fires, which have collectively destroyed or damaged over 9,000 structures, were preceded by significant increases in grid faults, as reported by Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs.

Faults on the power grid, often caused by tree limbs hitting electrical wires or wires colliding, generate sparks that can ignite fires. Marshall emphasized that while the data shows a correlation between the faults and the fires, it does not definitively prove causation. “What I cannot say is one of these faults sparked the fire. I don’t know that,” Marshall said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “But it just takes one to start the fire.”

In the area of the Palisades fire, 25 faults were recorded in the hour before the fire started, followed by 18 faults in the hour the fire began. The Eaton fire saw 50 faults in the hour it ignited, while the Hurst fire had 51 faults in the hour it was reported, preceded by 120 faults over the previous four hours. Marshall noted that the power lines were not de-energized before the fires started, highlighting a critical gap in utility monitoring systems.

Whisker Labs uses Ting sensors to monitor electrical activity in approximately 14,000 Los Angeles homes. These sensors provide real-time data on grid stress, offering insights that utilities currently lack. “Our objective is to get utilities to pay attention to the data because it’s valuable to know when the grid is stressed,” Marshall said.

The fires have resulted in five confirmed deaths, with officials warning that the toll could rise. Over 130,000 residents remain under evacuation orders, and experts warn that the disaster could become the costliest wildfire event in U.S. history. Investigators from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are examining all possible causes, including power line activity and human factors.

Robert Garcia, fire chief for the Angeles National Forest, stated that the cause of the Eaton fire is still under investigation. “There’s a number of different activities in [Eaton Canyon],” Garcia said. “There was public in there when it was occurring. And there’s power lines [that] run through there. So we have teams looking at all [possible starts].”

This incident follows the 2018 Camp Fire, which was sparked by Pacific Gas & Electric equipment and resulted in 85 deaths. The ongoing investigation into the LA County fires underscores the urgent need for improved grid monitoring and wildfire prevention measures.