ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) — Do two transmission towers hold the answers to how one of the most destructive disasters in California history began?
On Thursday, the Southern California Edison (SCE) tower in La Canada Flintridge was taken apart by airborne moving crews.
A sky crane helicopter started the process of moving the tower to a staging area in three separate pieces. SCE says the three pieces of the tower will be dismantled and eventually moved into a warehouse.
“It is a very careful process, and it is supervised,” said SCE Spokesperson Dave Eisenhower.
Also in that warehouse will be the transmission tower from Eaton Canyon, which was dissected into two pieces and air lifted away on Wednesday.
Thermal imaging and surveillance video released by those suing SCE show sparks, and then minutes later, flames at the base of the Eaton Canyon tower.
“No question that if Edison had made the decision to turn the power off that morning after the system was showing signs of strain in the wind, that the Eaton Fire would have been avoided,” said attorney Doug Boxer, who is representing hundreds of Altadena homeowners suing the utility.
Boxer says he wants to examine the tower that was moved on Thursday because it was connected to the same circuit as the Eaton Canyon tower. Power hasn’t run through the circuit in decades, but Boxer believes the winds were so strong on Jan. 7 that live wires running alongside were swept close enough for there to be an electrical transfer.
“The theory is related to what we call induction, where a live transmission line transfers power to a dead transmission line,” Boxer said. “This is a very common occurrence.”
SCE says it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions, and that investigators still need to inspect any electrical marks and scarring on the towers.
“They will look at them closely. They’re going to do some electrical current testing, and they will do extensive laboratory testing,” Eisenhower said.
Attorneys say any ash and burn marks on the metal will be scoured for clues, too. Answers are what they want, as do the people of Altadena.
“It will bring peace,” said Altadena Resident Brianna Mendez.
Mendez had to leave her home for months, and wants to know the root cause of why so many of her neighbors’ homes burned down to the ground.
While the tower was being moved on Thursday, it clipped some transmission lines. SCE said that as a result, the tower sustained some damage, but the transmission lines were not active. The extent of the damage is being investigated.
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