In a plot twist that surprises absolutely no one, the long-awaited report on the deadly 2025 Eaton fire in Los Angeles has confirmed what many suspected: the blaze was caused by equipment belonging to Southern California Edison. The utility company's out-of-service tower, apparently not content with its retirement, decided to go out with a literal bang.

Los Angeles county fire officials released the report on Tuesday, concluding that after 18 months of thorough review - because why rush into things - the fire that killed 19 people and destroyed or damaged over 9,000 homes and businesses was ignited by electrical arcing on the tower. The agency noted that the tower was out of service, which raises the question: if it wasn't in service, why was it arcing? Perhaps it was just a farewell performance.

The fire, which took nearly a month to extinguish and scorched 22 square miles (57 square km), was sparked during extreme weather conditions: high temperatures, low humidity, and powerful winds. Two 'electrical arcing events' occurred in quick succession, causing burning material to fall to the ground. Within 12 seconds, dry grass ignited, and the fire quickly escalated into a conflagration engulfing the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and La Cañada Flintridge. It took more than two weeks to fully contain.

Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, said the utility had received the report and was reviewing it. She noted that SCE had previously acknowledged 'it was likely our equipment was associated with the ignition.' Translation: yes, it was us, but let's read the fine print first.

In a move that could be described as 'defensive but not entirely unreasonable,' SoCal Edison has claimed in lawsuits that Los Angeles county agencies failed to send timely evacuation warnings to residents in east and west Altadena. Eighteen of the 19 victims lived in west Altadena. The utility also blamed water agencies, including Pasadena Water and Power, for not providing enough water as the fire spread, leaving firefighters with limited resources. Los Angeles county declined to comment on the latest filings.

The investigation, conducted jointly with the California department of forestry and fire protection, found that the utility was responsible for maintaining its equipment 'in a manner that would minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire.' The report also cited a 911 call from a Pasadena resident on 7 January, who spotted a '10in x 10in fire at the base of a high-voltage electrical tower' - a small spark that would soon become a massive problem.

The Eaton fire burned simultaneously with the Palisades fire, the most destructive in Los Angeles history and among the five worst in California. That blaze killed 12 people and destroyed over 6,800 structures. The man accused of starting it, Jonathan Rinderknecht, will face trial again this fall after a mistrial in June, with prosecutors alleging he used a barbecue lighter on 1 January 2025 to ignite a fire that smoldered undetected in root systems before flaring up on 7 January. Because nothing says 'happy new year' like a smoldering root system.