A piece of equipment for Southern California Edison may have sparked a wildfire Monday in Southern California that forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, the Associated Press reports.
The fire, covering 11 square miles in Orange County, was accelerated due to high winds, which turned a small smoky spot fire into a quick-traveling blaze. Two firefighters have been critically injured fighting the wildfire.
Southern California Edison said in a report to the state Public Utility Commission that one of its “lashing wires”–which stabilize power lines and other cables–struck a 12,000 volt line, sparking a fire in the dry area below.
SCE shut down power to more than 38,000 customers in an effort to reduce the risk for future fires.
More than 90,000 people were evacuated from the Orange County fire. Another fire in the nearby Yorba Linda area had grown to nearly 4.7 square miles, prompting the evacuation of 10,000 people.
The 20 largest fires active in the state have burned more than 2.2 million acres, according to CalFire. There were 27 new fires started by various means Monday.