Are Utility Lines Behind Latest California Wildfire?

With thousands of California residents facing blackouts as a fire precaution, a state utility company said its own equipment may have sparked the latest blaze sweeping through the state.

Utility Southern California Edison stated in a letter to the state Public Utilities Commission it was looking at whether a “lashing wire” tied to telecommunication lines hit a 12,000-vote line above it, sparking the latest wildfire.

High winds are fueling at least two major fires raging across Southern California. As recently as Tuesday morning, the Orange Country Fire Authority reported it was examining reports of wires down in Santa Ana, the county seat.

Combined, county authorities estimated Monday that 8,400 acres were on fire and hundreds of firefighters were working to control blazes that were uncontained. Tens of thousands of area residents were ordered to evacuate.

A public safety announcement from the utility company warned that shutoffs may occur as a precaution.

“When there is a high risk for a wildfire, we may temporarily shut off power to your neighborhood to prevent our electric system from becoming the source of an ignition,” the advisory read.

The utility already cut power to some 38,000 structures across five counties this week due to safety concerns.

Two firefighters are in critical condition for burns suffered while battling the blazes. The National Weather Service for Santa Ana issued a “red flag” alert on the fire hazard, forecasting wind gusts as strong as 60 mph.