Whisker Labs, a company specializing in electrical grid monitoring, has reported a significant surge in electrical faults in the Los Angeles area immediately preceding the eruption of three major wildfires: the Eaton, Palisades, and Hurst fires. These faults, detected by Whisker Labs’ network of approximately 14,000 “ting” sensors deployed across Los Angeles, are indicative of electrical anomalies such as tree branches contacting power lines, wind-blown wires clashing, malfunctioning electrical equipment, surges in power demand, or even seismic activity. The timing of these faults, coinciding with the onset of strong Santa Ana winds, raises serious concerns about their potential link to the wildfires’ ignition.
The data provided by Whisker Labs paints a concerning picture. In the Palisades area, the site of the largest of the three fires, 63 faults were recorded in the two to three hours leading up to the fire’s ignition, followed by an additional 18 faults in the hour the fire began. The Eaton Fire near Altadena was preceded by a staggering 317 grid faults, while the Hurst Fire saw approximately 230 faults registered by the sensor network. This contrasts sharply with the typically low number of faults recorded on an average day. While these faults are potential ignition sources, particularly with dry vegetation prevalent in the area, Whisker Labs emphasizes that the data does not definitively confirm that these faults directly caused the fires. Further investigation is needed to establish a causal link.
The process by which these electrical faults can ignite wildfires involves sparks generated by the faults falling onto dry vegetation, effectively acting as a match. The strong Santa Ana winds then rapidly spread these nascent flames, leading to the large-scale conflagrations witnessed across Los Angeles. While the official cause of the wildfires remains undetermined, the correlation between the surge in electrical faults and the fires’ ignition provides a crucial lead for investigators. This underlines the importance of real-time grid monitoring and the potential for utilizing data like that provided by Whisker Labs to enhance fire prevention strategies.
While acknowledging the potential connection between the faults and the fires, Whisker Labs CEO Bob Marshall emphasizes the need for caution in interpreting the data. He clarifies that the company’s data demonstrates a significant increase in grid faults in the vicinity of the fires prior to their ignition but stops short of definitively attributing the fires’ cause to these faults. He further notes that the data indicates a delayed shut-off of power despite the rising number of faults, a factor that warrants further investigation. The company has engaged in discussions with utility companies regarding the use of its data, but currently, this information is not being shared for broader grid management purposes.
Currently, Whisker Labs’ “ting” sensors primarily serve to alert homeowners of power surges, allowing them to take preventative measures to protect their appliances and mitigate the risk of house fires. This technology, which collects 30 million electrical measurements per second and employs artificial intelligence for data analysis, has the potential to prevent a significant proportion of house fires caused by electrical surges. The sensor network functions by detecting anomalies within individual homes or across the wider grid. A surge detected in a single home is isolated to that home, while faults affecting the broader grid are simultaneously registered by multiple sensors in the area, allowing for differentiation between localized and widespread issues.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has confirmed that it did not implement proactive power shut-offs as a preventative measure against wildfire risk ahead of the recent devastating fires. This contrasts with the practice of other major Californian power companies, which have adopted preemptive power shut-offs in high-risk areas, especially during periods of strong winds and dry conditions. While LADWP claims to employ other safety measures, such as disabling automatic power restoration after outages, the absence of proactive shut-offs raises questions about the adequacy of their wildfire prevention strategies, especially in light of the data suggesting a potential link between power grid faults and the recent fires. The LADWP defends its approach by citing potential negative impacts of widespread power outages on emergency services, a concern that requires careful consideration in balancing public safety needs.
