L.A. Fires Death Toll Grows to 24 as Investigators Say They're Looking at Whether Electricity Started Some Blazes

Mar. 15, 2025

Justin Sullivan/Getty

The death toll in theLos Angeles wildfireshas risen to 24.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that there has now been 24 fatalities as a result of the wildfires, which started on Jan. 7, in an update shared at 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 12.

Per the Medical Examiner, 16 of the people killed were in the Eaton fire zone, while eight were found around the Palisades area. The Medical Examiner previously confirmed 16 people had died in the fires as of Jan. 11.

At least 16 people have also been reported missing, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a news conference on Sunday, perThe New York Times.

Investigators from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are currently focusing on an electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon as a possible cause of the start of the fires in Altadena after studying the hillside area,The Los Angeles Timesreported on Sunday.

A firefighter tackles the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Jan. 8.Justin Sullivan/Getty

“Nobody is allowed up there besides investigators,” said Wayne Howerton, an investigator for the CDFFP, told the outlet. “It’s currently an investigation into the start of the Eaton fire.”

Southern California Edison officials denied their electrical towers being the cause of the fire in anews releasepublished on Jan. 8, stating that “SCE’s distribution lines immediately to the west of Eaton Canyon were de-energized well before the reported start time of the fire, as part of SCE’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, SCE spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas, said, “This is a very difficult time for Southern California and our priority right now is to ensure the safety of the communities we serve in restoring power as soon as we safely can. It is important to note no fire agency has suggested that SCE facilities were involved in the ignition of the fire and have not requested the removal or retention of any of our equipment.”

Eaton Canyon in L.A.Getty

Getty

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“[It] was the tiniest fire — it looked like a camp fire at that point,” he said. “It’s clear that’s where the fire started. It was right under the power lines.”

PEOPLE has reached out to SCE and the CDFFP for comment.

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source: people.com