Exceptionally dry weather has targeted Southern California so far this winter, creating ideal conditions for wildfires.

So far, many clues to the origins of the deadly Eaton fire, which started in the area just after 6 p.m. that evening and went on to kill 17 people, have pointed to the brushy hillside where a tangle of electrical lines stretch up Eaton Canyon.

Much-needed rain has begun to fall over Southern California, bringing relief to the drought-stricken region but also the threat of toxic runoff.

High-voltage power lines saw a temporary surge in electrical current in the area where the deadly Eaton Fire is believed to have started, Southern California Edison said.

Southern California Edison has reported a Jan. 7 fault on a power line that was connected miles away from the lines located near the origin of the deadly Eaton Fire that sparked that day