LOS ANGELES _ Investigators looking at the cause of the Getty fire are examining utility lines near where the blaze started Monday morning along the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass, two sources familiar with the investigation said.
The sources, who spoke to the Los Angeles Times on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, stressed that the cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
But investigators have pinpointed the ignition point and do not believe it was the result of arson, the sources said. One witness told investigators flashes were seen in the area around the poles, they added.
It's unclear which utility operates the power lines.
The fire broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday along the 405 Freeway near the Getty Center and spread to the south and west, rapidly burning more than 600 acres and sending people fleeing from their homes in the dark.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it is cooperating into the investigation into the cause.
About 600 DWP customers in the Getty fire area remain without power on Tuesday.
At about 3:19 a.m. Monday, the utility took three circuits out of service, resulting in 2,600 customers losing power in Bel Air, Brentwood and Westwood.
One of the circuits is still de-energized. The other two have been turned back on, said Carol Tucker, a spokeswoman for the utility.
Unlike PG&E and Southern California Edison, the utility does not shut off power to customers before or during a wind event.
"Due to our location in a highly urbanized area with far fewer wildfire prone areas, we do not face the same threat of wildfire as many of the rural counties located in other service areas served by the larger investor-owned utilities," the utility wrote in a statement. "This is because our service area within the City of LA is highly urbanized with extensive fire suppression infrastructure in place and a Class 1 rated LA Fire Department. This is quite different than many of the remote or more rural areas served by investor-owned utilities such as PG&E and SCE."
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said that, despite firefighters' efforts, at least eight homes, including some on Tigertail Road, were destroyed in the blaze. Five others were damaged. Some homes that were destroyed were adjacent to properties that didn't sustain any damage, he said.
"They were literally overwhelmed," Terrazas said of crews fighting the fire within neighborhoods. "They had to make some tough decisions on which houses they were able to protect. Many times, it depends upon where the ember lands."
The neighborhoods around the Sepulveda Pass have seen more than their share of fires over the years _ and residents say they know to be on guard.
In the hills surrounding Danny Cahn's home, fires have a history of blasting out of control. In 1961, when Cahn was a preschooler, residents had to flee an inferno that swept through Bel-Air and Brentwood, destroying 484 homes.
Cahn said life had never quite been the same since the "big one" roared though, propelled by Santa Ana wind conditions that left a number of L.A.'s rich and famous homeless.
"There's always a threat hanging in the air around here," said the retired film editor, 62, who was taking photos Monday of aircraft dropping pink retardant and water on flames about half a mile away. "I can recall six or seven major fires in my lifetime.
"When the smoke clears and the fires are out," he said, "it'll be a wonderful place to live _ until the next wildfire."
Another major fire that broke out in the Sylmar area earlier this month is also under investigation. The Saddleridge fire, which burned homes in Porter Ranch, started under Southern California Edison power lines.
Edison later said its electrical system was "impacted" around that time. The utility hasn't provided additional details.
Earlier this year, authorities alleged that two Los Angeles men intentionally set fire to a homeless encampment, a situation that sparked a brush fire and led to the evacuations of several homes in Eagle Rock and Glendale.
