EATON FIRE

Start date: January 7, 2025

Los Angeles County: 14,021 acres burned

Damage: 9,418 buildings destroyed, 17 deaths

Cost: $10 Billion

Cause: Under Investigation

The Eaton Fire is one of the most destructive wildfires in California's history. It began on the evening of January 7, 2025, in the Eaton Canyon of the San Gabriel Mountains. The fire was driven by powerful Santa Ana winds through the foothill communities of Altadena, Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, La Canada Flintridge, and Kinneloa Mesa. The fire killed 17 people and destroyed 9,418 buildings. The fire was fully contained on January 31st after burning for 24 days.[3]

While the cause of the Eaton Fire is still under investigation, there is a growing body of evidence including video footage and eyewitness accounts suggesting the fire started in the dry grasses below a set of Southern California Edison’s high tension transmission towers in the hills above Altadena. Despite the National Weather Service issuing a red-flag warning that predicted an extreme windstorm with Santa Ana wind gusts forecasted to reach speeds of 60–90 miles per hour, Southern California Edison failed to de-energize transmission lines in the area, greatly increasing the likelihood of the catastrophic fire.