The death toll has risen to 24, and with forecasts predicting more winds, the situation in the Californian county remains dire.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California has labeled the wildfires as the most severe disaster in US history.
Currently, a $25 billion corporation is facing scrutiny after disclosing a damaged powerline at a tower in proximity to where the Hurst fire originated last Tuesday.
Edison International, the company in question, mentioned in a press release that fire agencies are examining if its equipment played a role in the fire’s ignition, which began around 10:10 pm on January 7.
A preliminary review indicates the firm recorded a ‘circuit relay’ at 10:11 pm at the Eagle Rock – Sylmar 220 kV circuit.
Nonetheless, Edison International, which is owned by a combination of public companies and individual investors, is uncertain whether the damage occurred before or after the fire.
The market value of the energy company has dropped by $5.73 billion since the fires began, falling from $30.89 billion on January 3 to $25.16 billion today, according to the Daily Mail.
The recent disclosure coincides with ongoing speculation about the cause of the catastrophic blaze.
Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, a company specializing in monitoring electrical activity, informed Fox News that the firm detected spikes in the power grid hours before each fire.
Marshall claims the data suggests power was not promptly shut off when the faults occurred, possibly due to ‘tree limbs touching wires or wires moving in the wind and making contact.’
While local authorities and investigators have yet to pinpoint the cause of the fires, grid faults may have caused sparks that ignited dry areas.
Edison International also reported that it has restored power to over 500,000 customers since the fires began, but warned that ‘severe equipment damage and access restrictions in wildfire-affected areas may cause restoration times to be longer than usual, ranging from several days to, in some cases, weeks’.
LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley stated in a Sunday press briefing that active fires continue to pose a significant threat.
Crowley added: “There’s no power, there’s no water, there’s broken gas lines, and we have unstable structures. The first responders are working as quickly as possible to ensure that it is safe for you to return into your communities.”