In the case of the Eaton Fire, the investigators are likely to use magnets to help them hunt for the tiny, melted pieces of metal that could have been shed by power lines if they slapped together. But the existence of the metal doesn’t necessarily indicate that’s how the fire started, Nordskog said.

The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area has risen to 16 as crews battle to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that