Bobcat Fire: Officials Investigate Whether Southern California Utility Sparked Blaze

Federal investigators are looking into whether a huge wildfire burning in the mountains near Los Angeles was sparked by Southern California Edison utility equipment, according to the company.

Edison has turned over a section of an overhead conductor from its transmission facility in the area where the Bobcat fire started more than two weeks ago, a company spokesman, David Song, said on Wednesday.

In an incident report filed with the state Public Utilities Commission last week, Edison said its nearby equipment had experienced an issue five minutes before the initial report of the fire on 6 September.

A circuit at a nearby substation experienced a “relay operation”, indicating its equipment detected some kind of disturbance or event, Song said.

However, cameras captured smoke developing in the area before the activity on Edison’s circuit, he said.