US EditionVideo shows Palisades Fire may have smoldered for days before deadly blaze
Firefighters left the Lachman Fire scene despite smoldering ground, leading to the Palisades Fire that destroyed 6,800 structures and killed 12 people, officials said.
- In recent weeks, firefighters at the Lachman Fire were ordered to leave despite reporting smoldering ground, before strong winds rekindled the Palisades Fire, burning 23,448 acres.
- ATF investigators say the origin was an underground smolder in root systems that burned for days before surfacing in strong winds, and prosecutors call the Jan. 7 fire a `holdover` from Jan. 1; earlier this month, a suspect was arrested for the Jan. 1 ignition.
- Text messages reviewed by The Times show three firefighters warned the battalion chief on duty about hot stumps and visible smoldering, calling it a `bad idea` to leave the burn scar unprotected.
- Revelations about the Jan. 2 decision have intensified criticism of Los Angeles Fire Department leadership and Mayor Karen Bass for pre-deployment choices, sparking lawsuits and a U.S. Senate committee Republican-led inquiry while Mayor Bass removed Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, who has appealed and sued.
- Officials noted thermal imaging cameras reach only about a foot, drones were not used before leaving the Jan. 1 burn area due to fire size, and The Times reported missing dispatch records amid pre-deployment failures before Jan. 7.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Firefighters told to ignore smoldering blaze that became deadly Palisades fire: report · American Wire News
Firefighters were ordered to ignore a smoldering blaze that later reignited as the deadly Palisades fire, which claimed the lives of 12 people. That’s according to the Los Angeles Times, which cited text messages to report that firefighters told their battalion chief “the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch” at the site of the Lachman Fire. When told to abandon the smoldering underground fire — which was allegedly sta…
Report: Firefighters were ordered to leave smoldering site near Palisades
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. (KESQ) - Firefighters who were mopping up a New Year's Day brush fire that authorities now say flared into the deadly Palisades Fire warned a battalion chief there were signs the blaze was still smoldering, but they were directed to leave the area anyway, it was reported today. Citing text messages among three firefighters and another person, the Los Angeles Times reported that a firefighter warned a battalion chief on …
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