Easy Fire: SoCal Edison equipment failure caused blaze that burned 1,860 acres in Ventura County

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Thursday, October 22, 2020
Line equipment failure caused Easy Fire in Ventura County
Ventura County fire investigators say equipment failure on an electrical transmission line owned and operated by So-Cal Edison sparked the blaze.

VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) -- Equipment failure on an electrical transmission line owned and operated by Southern California Edison sparked the massive Easy Fire last October, Ventura County Fire Department investigators announced Thursday.



The wildfire erupted on Oct. 30, 2019, and went on to burn 1,860 acres. At one point flames threatened to overrun the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.



"Fire investigators found that the fire started when an insulator attached to high-voltage power lines swung into a steel power pole," the Fire Department said in a statement. "The insulator showed damage consistent with grounding against the steel pole."



Three firefighters were injured while battling the Easy Fire, which damaged two structures.



Easy Fire cost Reagan Library nearly $500,000 in damage


Last month's Easy Fire in Simi Valley cost the Reagan Library and Museum nearly $500,000.
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