Near sunrise on the morning of Sunday, July 14, 2024, a monsoon thunderstorm developed in the Los Angeles Basin and quickly moved north-northwest directly towards the Angeles National Forest, including Eaton Canyon. Over 50 lightning bolts were recorded by the National Weather Service south and east of Hwy 2, including 18 that struck the Earth’s surface. The storm was responsible for 0.04″ – 0.19″ of rain throughout the local foothills, as well as a 39 MPH wind gust at the Henninger Helipad weather station. In one neighborhood near Eaton Canyon, a lightning bolt struck a power pole and lit in on fire.
Right around 5:50 AM, another lightning bolt struck Eaton Canyon directly, hitting well above the Chuck Ballard Memorial Bridge. Witnesses to the event say the lightning ignited brush in steep terrain. 9-1-1 calls immediately began coming into the Altadena sheriff’s station. Heavy rain soon followed the lightning strike, extinguishing any possible wildfire ignition that may had occurred. By 6:15 AM, the Altadena sheriff’s station had dispatched units to drive around Altadena Dr. to search for smoke and flames. Different witnesses overlooking the canyon at the Midwick gate at 6:24 AM did not see either, and the search for a fire was eventually called off.
Before the arrival of humans, virtually all of Eaton Canyon’s wildfires were caused by lightning. Photographic evidence of an ignition could not be obtained, and as a result, a fire in the canyon remains unconfirmed.
The monthly Eaton Canyon conservation group spent Sunday morning clearing invasive castor bean plants from the wash section directly adjacent to the overflow parking lot. The group had a clear view of the area impacted by the lightning strike, and no additional smoke was ever seen.
