#palisades-fire

#palisades-fire

Firefighters mopping up a small brush fire that authorities say reignited as the Palisades fire five days later were ordered to leave the original burn scene even though they complained the ground was still smoldering and rocks remained hot to the touch, according to firefighter text messages reviewed by The Times. To the firefighters' surprise, their battalion chief ordered them to roll up their hoses and pull out of the area on Jan. 2 - the day after the 8-acre blaze was declared contained - rather than stay and make sure there were no hidden embers that could spark a new fire, the text messages said.

In a letter to interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, Bass asked that he "thoroughly investigate" a report by The Times about the Los Angeles Fire Department's missteps in putting out a small brush fire that federal authorities say was intentionally set on New Year's Day. The previously undisclosed details have prompted fresh outrage among those who lost homes in the worst fire in city history.

Haney said by phone Thursday he took an interest in Rinderknecht's case because there were things I knew about this case factually and things that didn't make sense to me. It's a very strange case, he added. Haney said prosecutors were using Rinderknecht as a scapegoat and said the attempt to hold him criminally liable for the failure of others is preposterous. There were blatant failures by governmental agencies that were intervening causes between the Lachman and Palisades fires, he said.

Jennifer Forkish, the LAPD's public information director, said she left the department Thursday at the request of Chief Jim McDonnell but vehemently denied making any unauthorized disclosures. "Any suggestion that I have ever shared or leaked information to the media is categorically false," she said in a statement. "No one in the Department, including the Chief has ever raised or discussed this baseless allegation with me, because it simply never happened. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying."

They alleged the seeds of destruction began not on Jan. 7 when the flames entered Pacific Palisades but on Jan. 1. They claim an Uber driver intentionally set the fire on a popular hiking trail in what they claim was a bizarre series of events that included listening to a French rap song. Firefighters responded and believed they had snuffed it out. But intense winds on on Jan. 7 reignited it.

LOS ANGELES -- An arrest has been made in connection with the Palisades Fire, which caused widespread destruction in Los Angeles County and killed a dozen people earlier this year, sources close to the investigation confirmed to ABC News. Federal and local law enforcement officials are scheduled to announce a "significant development" in the criminal investigation into the fire on Wednesday.

We can reassure the community that it's a safe environment for them to return to.

The Department of Insurance has faced over 1,000 complaints from fire victims regarding insurance claims, and is considering mediation referrals due to unresolved issues.

The Eaton fire charred 14,021 acres, killing 18 civilians and destroying 9,414 structures both residential and commercial. Altadena was nearly wiped off the map.

"We just wanted to have something where the community could gather and have a place to visit while they're visiting their place of residence ... and feel a bit of normalcy after such a devastating event," said Jim Harris, the restaurant manager and chief executive of Gladstones Legacy Group.

The Getty Villa has reopened after a six-month closure due to the Palisades fire, showcasing a new exhibit titled 'The Kingdom of Pylos'.

Cleanup efforts following the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires are underway, but an ongoing concern is swimming pools in the two burn zones, many of which contain stagnant water that has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry diseases.