One of Los Angeles County’s largest-ever wildfires may have been sparked by tree branches hitting power equipment, says utility company

So far 171 buildings and 87 homes have been destroyed by California blaze

Investigators are looking into the possibility that one of the largest wildfires ever recorded in Los Angeles County was sparked by tree branches coming into contact with Southern California Edison (SCE) equipment.

In a letter to the Public Utilities Commission, SCE, a utility company, wrote that US Forest Service (USFS) investigators have retained some of their equipment as part of the investigation into the Bobcat Fire, which began on 6 September and is still burning today.

The company said that the investigators have not yet shared details of their findings, but have taken a line of conductor belonging to the utility company and three tree branches from the area where the blaze started, according to ABC7.

The Los Angeles Times reported that utility companies can be found liable for damage to wildlife even if its equipment is properly maintained, and SCE revealed that it also investigating the incident.

The utility company filed a notice on 15 September to the regulators that said there was an “incident” at its grid around the same time that the fire started last month.

In that filing, SCE said that five minutes after the wildfire was reported, the company’s “Jarvis 12 kV circuit out of Dalton Substation experienced a relay operation,” which indicates an abnormal condition on the circuit, according to the Times.

However, the utility company said that local surveillance cameras already showed smoke in the area 11 minutes before its system experienced the incident.

On Monday, the utility company said it “is investigating the cause of the ignition and the 12:16pm relay on its system, and evaluating whether vegetation in the area could have been a factor.”

SCE added that it is looking into “whether vegetation may have encroached within the minimum clearance distance or contacted the section of the overhead conductor retained by USFS.”

The fire has burned through at least 115,676 acres since it started on 6 September near Cogswell Dam in the Angeles National Forest, and was 92 per cent contained on Monday, according to Fox News.

Bobcat Fire has so far destroyed 171 structures and 87 homes, while it has damaged 47 buildings and 28 residences.