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Amid theories surrounding the LA wildfire, Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, shared that the company recorded a significant increase in power grid faults just hours before the Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton fires ignited. As per a report by Fox News Digital dated January 11, 2025, Marshall commented on the findings, saying:
"In the case of the Eaton Fire near Altadena, there's 317 grid faults that occurred in the hours preceding the ignition. And then in the Hurst Fire, there's about 230 faults that occurred that we measured on the sensor network."
Bob Marshall shared that Whisker Labs has a network of approximately 14,000 sensors called "ting" sensors spread across Los Angeles. These sensors can identify and pinpoint faults generated through electrical arcs, and this network of sensors allows Whisker Labs to monitor the utility of the electric grid with precision and accuracy. He added that there are very few faults on a normal day.
Marshall shared Whisker Labs' data with Fox News Digital. According to this, there were 63 faults in the Palisades area two to three hours before the LA wildfire began in the region. He added that his company registered 18 faults in the hour that the LA wildfire began in Palisades on January 7, 2025.
"We don't know that" — Whisker Labs CEO comments on whether grid faults caused the LA wildfire
In his interaction with Fox News Digital, Whisker Labs CEO Bob Marshall mentioned that the grid faults are caused when the tree limbs come into contact with wires or wires blowing in the wind and touch. This creates a spark in a fault, and Whisker Labs detects the same.
Commenting on whether the power grid faults were one of the causes behind the LA wildfire, Marshall said:
"Importantly, what we cannot say is one of those is whether one of those faults caused the fire. We don't know that. What we know from our data is that there were increasing faults in the grid in the area around where those fires ignited."
The Whisker Labs CEO also said that data shows the power wasn't shut off immediately when the faults in the power grid were increasing. He added that it could not be definitively said whether one of the faults was caused by a fire and that he wanted to be "very, very clear about that."
Marshall said that the ting sensors notify homeowners of a surge in power, allowing them to take preventive measures to avoid house fires. He added that Whisker Labs has a network of a million ting sensors across the U.S.
The Whisker Labs CEO also commented on how a power surge can cause damage to devices and appliances and start a fire in the house in the worst-case scenario. Marshall then mentioned that Whisker Labs has discussed the use of its data with utility companies. However, the company's data is not currently shared.
According to a report by AP News dated January 12, 2025, investigators were able to rule out lightning as the source of the LA wildfire despite it being one of the most common causes. There weren't any reports of lightning in the area around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County or in Palisades.
Additionally, there hasn't been a sign of the fire being set intentionally. Also, a fire sparked by utility lines hasn't been identified as the cause of the LA wildfire either.
