Firefighters in Los Angeles alerted the fire chief that the brush fire, which later escalated into the devastating Palisades blaze, wasn’t fully under control, but no action was taken by the department, according to a senior official from LAFD.
When the crews departed the scene on January 2, officials noted that the wildfire area was still smoking and scattered with smoldering rocks.
A week later, the Luckman fire reignited, tragically claiming 12 lives and destroying thousands of homes, making it the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history as per federal investigators.
Firefighters had expressed a desire to continue their efforts to suppress the Luckman Fire, officials indicated.
Yet, an order from the battalion chief instructed them to leave the scene.
According to the Times, the firefighters’ concerns were documented and known within the department. However, the subsequent 70-page report on the Palisades fire fails to acknowledge this controversy.
While the report briefly mentioned the Lachman Fire, it did not clearly identify it as the cause of the Palisades Fire, despite federal agencies making that connection and arresting firefighters involved in starting that fire.
An internal memo reveals that the Justice Department has now requested access to text messages and communications from firefighters involved in the Lachman Fire.
LAFD officials had earlier stated that the Lachman Fire was completely extinguished at that time.
“That fire is out. If this turns out to be the cause, it would be quite the phenomenon,” remarked Chief of Staff Joe Everett during a community meeting on January 16.
The after-action report called the conditions a “perfect storm” of factors—dry vegetation, high winds, and low water availability—that contributed to a disastrous blaze.
The report acknowledged several critical mistakes in the response, ultimately leading to the dismissal of LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley by Mayor Karen Bass.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is 29 years old, allegedly started the fire and called 911 to report it, but not before sending a text that asked, “Are you at fault if a fire breaks out? [sic] Because of your cigarettes,” according to prosecutors.
Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to the related charges last month.
