Massive Thomas fire of 2017 sparked by power lines of Southern California Edison

The devastating Thomas Fire that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 structures northwest of Los Angeles in December 2017 was sparked by power lines owned by Southern California Edison Co , the Ventura County Fire Department said on Tuesday.

An investigation of the fire's origins found that high winds blew Edison power lines into one another, creating an electrical arc that "deposited hot, burning or molten material" into dry vegetation on the ground, setting off the blaze, the department said in a statement.